Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 749

ICHANG

昌 宜 [-chany

Ichang is one of the four ports opened to foreign trade on the 1st April, 1877, in accordance with Clause 1, Section 3, of the Chefoo Convention. It is situated in lat. 30° 43.4' N., long. 111° 12.8′ E., on the north bank of the river Yangtze, about 363 miles above Hankow, and some five miles below the entrance to the great Ichang Gorge, or just about 1,000 miles from the coast. The navigation of the river to this port is comparatively easy for vessels of light draught and has in recent years been rendered easier by the labours of the Customs River Department, which has marked every crossing and established numerous aids to navigation. The anchorage is off the left bank, and is good, except in freshets, when the anchors should be sighted every two or three days. The port is the centre of a hilly country, the productions of which are rice in the valleys, cotton on the higher grounds, winter wheat, barley, and also the tungtzu trees, from which the ordinary wood oil is obtained by pressing the nuts gathered from the trees. In the sheltered valleys, amongst the mountain ranges west of the city, oranges, lemons, pomeloes, pears, plums, and a very superior quality of persimmons are grown, and find a ready market in the city and at Shasi. The importance of Ichang is chiefly that of an emporium for goods in transit to and from Chungking. Most of the cargo for the latter port is landed here and transferred to steamers. Steam navigation is practicable for the larger vessels from the middle of April to the end of November and for the smaller vessels throughout the year. The rates for foreign passengers are much higher than on the lower Yangtsze. Aids to navigation and rules of the road through the gorges are efficiently maintained by the Government, with three River Inspectors functioning between Chung- king and Ichang, night navigation having been introduced in 1936. The upward voyage to Chungking now takes between three and four days, and the return trip just under two days. The port is now connected by motor highway with Hankow and is an important station on the Hankow-Chungking and Shanghai-Chengtu air service lines. The Hupeh-Szechuan motor highway, which will pass Ichang, is under survey. The estimated Chinese population of Ichang is 110,000.

TRADE IN 1938

The effects of the hostilities were acutely felt at Ichang, transportations of commodities on the Upper Yangtze River being seriously handicapped, while air raids were frequent, with unceasing anxiety regarding the approach of Japanese forces. Despite, however, all adverse circumstances the trade of port was on the whole not unsatisfactory. The port value statistics were as follows: direct foreign imports, $15,000 as compared with $313,000; coastwise importations of native goods, $9.9 million as against $8 million; and coast- wise exports of Chinese produce, $6.8 million as against $11.5 million for 1937. No exports abroad were recorded, shipment for foreign countries being of necessity transhipped at some other port. Direct imports of sugar, gasoline and kerosene were nil. Coastwise, or duty-paid, imports of gasolene from Hankow in 1938 totalled 1,409,350 litres only as compared with 4,786,950 litres in 1937, while the import from Hankow of duty-paid kerosene oil totalled 333,858 litres only. Coastwise imports of native cotton piece-goods were valued at $527,847 as against $1.3 million. Imports of native cotton yarn