Directory_and_Chronicle_1938 — Page 806

WENCHOW

州 汨

Wan-chau

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تو

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Wênchow, one of the five ports opened to foreign trade by the Chefoo Convention, is the chief town in the department of Wanchow, occupying the south-east corner of Chekiang province. The city is situated on the south bank of the river Ou, about 20 miles from its mouth, in lat. 28 deg. 1 miu. 30 sec. N., long. 120 deg. 38 min. 45 sec. E. The site is a well cultivated plain, bounded on all sides by lofty hills. The walls are said to have been first erected during the fourth century, and they have been enlarged and re-built at various times since. They are formed of stone, diagonally laid at the foundation, and partly also of brick, and measure about four miles in circumference. The streets generally are paved with brick or stone and kept in careful repair by the householders. Many of them run side by side with small waterways, which in their turn cominunicate with navigable canals intersecting the whole city.

There are numerous large nunneries and temples in Wênchow. The Custom House, outside the North Gate, various Yamêns, other public offices and the Foundling Hospital, are also among the chief buildings. The last-named institution, built in 1748, contains 100 apartments. The Roman Catholic Missionaries have a spacious and imposing church in the western part of the city. The English Methodist Mission has a church capable of seating about 1,000 people. In 1903 this Mission erected a fine college cost of $20,000, containing sleeping accommodation for over 100 students, and teaching accommodation for more than 200. Early in 1906 all extensive and substantially constructed Hospital was also completed by the Mission at a further outlay of fully $20,000. The building consists of a central block and two wings after the style of Hunt's Block, Guy's Hospital, and can accommodate about 200 patients. Among the objects of greatest interest and curiosity are two pagodas situated on Conquest Island, abreast of the city. They are both of great antiquity, and the temples between them were for some time the retreat of Ti Ping, the last Emperor of the Sung dynasty, when seeking to escape from the Mongols under Kublai Khan. His Majesty Ti Ping has left behind him, autographis preserved to this day in one of the temples. A few members of the Customs staff occupy foreign- built houses on the island. There were Boxer troubles in the Pingyang district several Christians being murdered, in 1900, and all the missionaries left. Wênchow, where, however, the officials were able to maintain order. During the summer months some of the foreign residents repair to the Northern Hills (), across he river where several bungalows have been built.

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There is no foreign settlement at Wênehow, and the foreign residents are a mere handful, consisting entirely of officials and missionaries. There is a consider- able native export trade in tea, bitter oranges, tobacco, timber, charcoal, bamboos and kittysols, but manufactures do not flourish though some excellent floor-matting and cross-stitch work are produced by local factories. The firms engaged in the timber trade are located in the west suburb, where are also the timber yards. Immense quantities of timber and bamboos are kept on hand.

During August and September of 1912 two abnormal freshets occurred in the Wênchow river, causing immense destruction of life and property. In the upper reaches of the main river the water rose 60 feet above normal level, washing away villages and carrying away houses bodily. Some 30,000 people are reported to have been drowned in the Yungchia, Chingtien, Ch'uchow and Juían magistracies. Such a calamity was unprecedented within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. Two particularly severe typhoons in the summer of 1920 caused enormous damage in the neighbourhood. Haimen, a neighbouring city, about 85 miles by sea north-east of Wenchow, was partially destroyed on July 15th by a tidal wave with great loss of life; while in the Nanchi River valley, opposite Wenchow, an equally large loss of life was reported in the second typhoon between September 4th and 6th. In August 1923 and 1926 this port was visited by severe typhoons, although they did not cause much damage either afloat or ashore.