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EAST ASIA.
and near it stood Loyang, the imperial residence during the Wei and Tang dynasties
in the third and seventh centuries of the vulgar era. It lies near the north hank
of the Lo-ho, which here flows parallel with the main stream, from which it is
separated by a long range of hills. Honan occupies one of the most central points
it cannot fail to
in the empire ; and when the Great Asiatic Railway is completed,
become a chief emporium of the transit trade with the West. The surrounding hills
are crowned with some of the oldest and most curious temples
in China.
Kaifung-fu, capital of Honan, and still universally known its by old name of
Pien-leang, is deprived of the full advantage of its favourable position on the right
side of the Hoang-ho by the inundations both of the mainstream and of its tributary,
the Pien, by which the riverain tracts are here often devastated. In 1541 it was
almost entirely destroyed by its own inhabitants, who broke down the embankments
in order to drown a rebel army. Unfortunately they nearly all perished themselves,
while most of the besieging forces had time to escape.
Kaifung-fu, which was the
imperial capital from 1280 to 1405 A.D., has preserved none of its old monuments,
and is now merely a trading place, presenting the aspect of a permanent fair.
Here is the only Jewish community in China, engaged almost exclusively in gold
and silver work, brokerage, and money-lending.
North of the Hoang-ho the city of Hoailiing-fu, surrounded by a vast garden,
watered by rivulets from the Taishang-shan hills, although a busy place, is
surpassed in importance by Chingica-chen,
which lies 11 miles farther north-
west, and which is a great centre of the coal and iron industries. The route
running thence to Tientsin traverses the large city of Wei-hici-fu (Wei-kiun) and
the port of Tankow-chen, at the head of the navigation of the Wei-ho. West of
this river lies Changte-fu, noted above most Chinese towns for its well-kept streets
and prosperous appearance.
South of the Hoang-ho the most important place in the extensive plains watered
by the Hoa'i and its tributaries is Choickia-koic, at the confluence of the three headstreams
of the Sha-ho, and west of the provincial city of Ckinchev-fu. The plains
surrounding Kweitt, south of Kaifung-fu, are quite as productive as those of West
Honan, but they suffered far more from the ravages of the Ta'iping
rebels. The
lacustrine region stretching from Nanking to Tsinan, and traversed by the Grand
all its towns were seized and sacked
( 'anal, being undefended by any strongholds,
by them.
BASIN OF THE YANG-TZE-KIANG.
SECHUKN, KWBICHEW, HUPEH, HUNAN, NGANHWEI, KIANGSU, KIANOSI, CHEKIANO.
THE Yang-tze-kiang basin comprises three-eighths of China proper, with a
population estimated, before the late civil war, at no less than 200,000,000.
Although not originally founded here, the State drew from this region the chief
elements of strength, which enabled it to develop into the paramount power of
Mast Asia.
Of the two great Chinese rivers the Yang-tze is by far the largest, and is