Directory_and_Chronicle_1938 — Page 752

KIUKIANG

江九

Kin-kiang

Kiukiang is situated on the river Yangtsze near the outlet of the Poyang Lake, and was formerly prefectural city of the province of Kiang-si. It is distant about 142 geographical miles from Hankow and 454 miles from Shanghai. Kiukiang, before the Rebellion, was a busy and populous city; but it was occupied by the Taiping rebels in 1853, and before it was given up to the Imperial troops was almost entirely destroyed. When the Foreign Settlement was established there, however, the population soon returned, and has continued to increase rapidly: it is now estimated at 80,000. The city wall has been pulled down, and a maloo has been built in its place.

The city is built close to the river, along the banks of which the walls run for some 500 yards. Their circumference is about five miles, but a portion of the space enclosed is still unoccupied. The city contains no feature of interest. There are several large lakes to the north and west of it, and it is backed by a noble range of hills a few miles distant, amongst which is Kuling, some 3,600 feet high, the well- known summer resort, and the existence of which, within 24 hours' of the port, gives Kiukiang a high position among the Treaty Ports. The former foreign Settlement lies to the west of the city ad is neatly laid out. It possesses a small bund lined with trees, 2 clubs, and a Roman natholic cathedral. Since the end of 1927 the foreign settlement has been under Control of the Chinese authorities, and a new residential and business district, close to but outside the city, is slowly coming into being. Aeroplanes on the Shanghai-Hankow run pass through here daily-up plane about 2 p.m. and down plane about 9 a.m.

During 1921 a system of drainage of approved foreign style was initiated. Pinhingchow now comprises either in or adjacent to it the following prominent buildings: the railway station and godowns, the electric-light power-house, the Yü Sung Match Factory, the Kiuhsing Spinning and Weaving Company's factory, and a large fourstoried hotel,

TRADE IN 1936

Despite the continuance of peaceful conditions throughout the province, trade at Kiukiang during the first half of the year 1936 showed no signs of revival. Nor was the outlook rendered any brighter by the state of the river, which continued to rise with alarming rapidity, SO that during the earlier part of June appeared to be inevitable. During the latter part of that month, however, the river steadied up under the influence of improved weather conditions in the Yangtsze Valley, and the maximuni gauge reading at Kiukiang-11.522 metres on the 25th June-left an ample nargin of safety. A bountiful harvest followed, bringing prosperity to the farmers throughout the province and increasing the purchasing power of the district generally. The value of exports to Chinese. ports exceeded the previous year's figures by 60 per cent., amounting to nearly $32 million, more than half of which was contributed by rice shipments. This by no means exhausted the available stocks of rice, and exports would have reached a considerably higher figure had not a rapid fall in the river, ending in a gauge reading of ouly 1.31 metres by the middle of December, restricted the draught limit of vessels, so that large quantities of rice had to be carried over to the following year for slipinent under more normal conditions. Profits already realised encouraged direct importations of foreign commodities, mainly kerosene oil and oil products, to an extent beyond all comparison with the previous year's figures. The available statistics regarding the value of trade was as follows: direct foreign imports, $2 million as against $4 million in 1935;

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