Directory_and_Chronicle_1938 — Page 889

LUNGCHOW-MENGTSZ AND YUNNANFU

DIRECTORY

BIBLE CHURCH MEN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY

關州龍 Lung chow kuan

CUSTOMS, CHINESE MARITIME

Assistant-in-Charge-Chan Pak Hong

Clerks--Tsang Chia Cheong and Tsui

Yan Fung

Senior Out-door Officer-Tang Chao

Chi

FRENCH CONSULATE-- Cable Ad: Fransulat,

Longtcheou

A483

P. A. Simon, Consul for Longtcheou

& Nanning with residence

Longtcheou

J. V F. Tseng, Chinese Clerk

FRENCH HOSPITAL

Dr. Ch'en Ting-wok

局郵州龍

Shu Kwan Luen, postmaster

POST OFFICE (CHINESE)

in

MENGTSZ AND YUNNANFU

自 蒙

Mêng-is

This is a district city in south east Yunnan, and together with Man-hao, a village on the left bank of the Red River, was opened to trade by the Additional Convention to the French Treaty of Tientsin of the 25th April, 1886, signed at Peking on the 26th June, 1887. The town is two days' journey from Man-hao and about six days' from the frontier of Tonkin at Laokay, and beautifully situated, being built on a cultivated plateau 20 miles long by about 12 miles in breadth, encircled by picturesque mountains, and is 4,280 feet above the level of the sea. It has a Chinese population. of 150,000, but was a place of much more importance before the Mahommedan rebellion, as the numerous well-built temples, many of them now in ruins, still testify. It is, however, a considerable commercial emporium even now, and is becoming an important centre for the distribution of foreigng oods imported via Tonkin. The French Consul hoisted his flag at Mêngtsz on the 30th April, 1889, and the Customs station was opened in the following August.

The climate of Yunnanfu (altitude 6,400 feet) is temperate and good. From October to April, there is very little rain and a good deal of wind, but in June, July, August and September which is the rainy season the rainfall is about 49 inches in a year of heavy rain, and as low as 24 inches when the rains are poor. When the rainfall is as low as the latter figure, there is a drought and the harvests are poor, and when as the first figure there are floods, and the harvest is similarly poor.

TRADE IN 1936

As in 1935, Yunnanfu, the provincial capital of Yunnan and headquarters of the Mengtsz Customs, narrowly escaped a communist attack in the spring of 1936. Two severe encounters took place between "Red" forces and Government troops, one to the north-east of the province near the Kweichow border, and the other to the nortli of the city. Eventually the "Reds" succeeded in escaping westwards and, crossing the Yangtsze near Lichiang continued northwards to join with other communist elements in Chinghai and on the borders of Kansu. This danger was so sudden and so soon terminated that trade in general suffered but little, the trade statistics for the Mengtsze Customs being as follows, according to value: direct importations from abroad, $8.1 million as against $6.6 million in the preceding year; coastwise importations of Chinese · merchandise, $18.2 million as against $20 million; direct exportations to foreign countries, $23.7 million as against $16.9 million; and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce, $3.3 million as against $3.5 million. The import of machinery and tools from abroad showed considerable