Directory_and_Chronicle_1941 — Page 571

CHINKIANG

江鎮

Chin-king

is

The port of Chinkiang, which was opened to trade by the Treaty of Tientsin, situated on the south bank of the Yangtsze River, about 150 miles from its mouth, and near the entrances of the southern and northern sections of the Grand Canal. Formerly this position gave it great importance, and it was at one time believed that the port must eventually become a serious rival to Shanghai, but the neglect of the inland waterways, and especially of the Grand Canal, which is closed to steam traffic for some months during each year, either because the water is too shallow or because the wash from launches during the high water season would injure the embankments, is causing the trade to be diverted to Pukow, Tsingtao and Nantung- hsien. A further reason for the decline in importance of the port is the silting up of the harbour. The Chenjenchow Spit to the west of the harbour continues to increase slowly, and two additional spits, one stretching north-west from Consular Bluff and one stretching north-west from Silver Island Bluff, are now forming.

Chinkiang is one of the pleasantest ports on the river. It is now within five hours railway journey of Shanghai, which enables necessities to be delivered promptly, while the Shanghai papers are received the same afternoon. The sur- rounding country is very pretty and contains fair shooting.

shooting. Road development is proceeding apace and motor cars are steadily increasing in numbers,

The former British Concession was formally handed over to China on 15th November, 1929, and all undertakings of the former British Municipal Council, such as electric light and waterworks plants, have been taken over by Chinese companies who now supply the concession with electric power and water from their installations in the city

The work of road construction at Chinkiang and its suburban places was done very satisfactorily, though it has been carried on slowly and steadily ever since the removal of the Kiangsu Provincial Capital to this port in 1928. The Chung Shan Road which occupies the former city centre is available for motor traffic from the West Gate Railway Station in the west to the various highways in the east. The Chung Cheng Road is also available for motor traffic, commencing from the waterfront of the Yangtze River rear the Pai Ku Shan and terminating at the South Gate Railway Station, thus linking up the various highways in the south. The work of the east section of the Chung Hua Road between the Shih Fu Chiao and the Chung Cheng Road has not yet been started. A new road named Pao T'a Road crossing the West Gate main street from the Chung Hua Road in the north to the Pao Kai Road in the south, has just been completed and this is considered as a pivot between the city of Chinkiang and its business centre outside the West Gate. Bus roads are now radiated to various places such as Chuyung, Tangyang, Kintan, Liyang and Kiangyin. It is worthy of note that a Provincial Observatory has been built on the Pei Ku Shan towards the end of 1934 for meteorological purposes.

TRADE IN 1939

The port of Chinkiang, having been occupied in December 1937 and remaining in Japanese occupation with no Customs functioning, no report on trade or trade statistics are available.