Directory_and_Chronicle_1941 — Page 683

KONGMOON

門江

Kong-moon

Kongmoon was added to the list of treaty ports on 7th, March, 1904, in accordance with the stipulations of Article X of the Mackay Treaty. A British Consulate was at first established, but was withdrawn in 1905. The town of Kongmoon is located about three miles distant from the West River on a small tidal waterway which connects that river with the Gaemoon Estuary. It is in Sunwui District of Kwangtung Province at Latitude 22°-34'-49" N. and Longitude 113° 8'-53" E., and is about 45 miles from Macao, 70 from Canton, and 87 from Hongkong. The waterway on which Kongmoon is built is crowded with native craft of every description, while timber rafts line the banks near the entrance to the West River. The steamer anchorage proper is located on the West River at a point just above this entrance and is called Pakkai. It is included within the port limits and is the site of the Maritime_Customs head office. The population of Kongmoon in normal times is about 55,000. The town was formerly a business centre of considerable importance, but its commercial standing has been lowered during recent years as a result of the general depression in trade and reduced remittances from Chinese overseas.

When first opened in 1904 it was generally considered that the proximity of Kongmoon to Hongkong and Macao, and its favourable situation as a trade outlet and distributing centre for the southern districts of the province, augured well for its future prosperity and development-but these hopes have not been fully realised. Kongmoon no longer enjoys a direct junk trade with Shanghai and Foochow, and the opening up of Kiungchow and Pakhoi as treaty ports has still further diminished the junk trade and commercial importance of the port. In normal times there is daily communication by steamer with Hongkong and Macao, and an extensive traffic with Canton and other riparian cities in the province by the now familiar West River "Tow". These large floating hotels are towed by launch and equipped with every convenience for Chinese passenger traffic, including electric lights, fans and radios.

A railway formerly extended from Pakkai a distance of about 80 miles to Toushan in the Toishan district, but was destroyed by order of the Chinese authorities as a defence measure towards the end of 1938-and has not been rebuilt. At the same time and with the same object in view, the several highways terminating in Kongmoon were rendered unserviceable. The Kongmoon-Sunwui and Kongmoon-Pakkai highways have since been repaired, but the important Kongmoon-Shaping section of the road connecting with Fatshan and Canton is still out of commission.

The West River between Kongmoon and the sea was closed to navigation in 1937 on account of the war. Thereafter steamer traffic with Hongkong was compelled to proceed via Yungki and through the Bocca Tigris entrance of the Pearl River. After occupation of Canton by the Japanese forces in October, 1938, steamer communication between this port and the outside world was entirely suspended. In its place junk traffic with Macao soon developed, and rapidly assumed large proportions. As all of the main waterways had been closed, the junks were forced to follow a devious route through the numerous small tidal creeks with which the delta abounds. Kongmoon soon became the centre of a large trade extending far into the interior and with Macao as an outlet. As a result of the hostilities, trade from distant sections of the province was temporarily diverted through Kongmoon-thus demonstrating the extraordinary capacity of the Chinese merchant to "carry on" under adverse conditions. After several false alarms, this trade was eventually terminated on 29th, March, 1939, following the sudden arrival of the Japanese forces who still continue to occupy the port.

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TRADE IN 1939

Shortly after the fall of Canton in October 1938, steamer traffic between Kongmoon and Hongkong, upon which trade largely depends, was entirely suspended and various