Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-03-31


thronged with stylishly dressed men
and women of leisure and fashionable
equipages that would do credit TO
Fifth avenue, the Champs Elysee or
the Ring strasse In the days OF vi
enna's glory. The city is thoroughly
cosmopolitan. Perhaps no other city
of the world surpasses 1t In this re-
spect except Cairo.
The Foreign Settlements.
There are two Shanghais: the ma
tive city, and the foreign concessions.
Shanghai was one of the first Chinese
cities to be thrown open to western
trade, one of the FIVE treaty ports"
established In 1912. British merchants
who moved in during the next few
years obtained a concession to man
age their municipal affairs In their
settlement The French and American
residents joined In the arrangement,
but later the French set up munich
pality Of their own which is main
tanned separately today. Residents OF
other natfonalities have thrown In
their lot with the British and Ameri-
cans, and today about 20 nations have
arrangements with China in connec-
ton with trade and extraterritorial
rights In Shanghai.
After riding two hours north of
Shanghai by railroad. through fertile,
fiat country to the Grand canal, one
+ finds himself among five million more
people of Kiangsu within radius of
40 miles of Soochew. Many of the
people in the outlying districts are
engaged In poultry raising and even
the city people take pride In their
focks. particularly ducks. Millions of
Kiangsu eggs that are not locally CON
sumed or shipped fresh are dried or
frozen. and shipped all over the world.
On the west of the city are hun
dred beautiful lakes and the Great
lake sixty miles wide In some places
r.. Just over the beautiful low ridge
of hills on the east. one OF the few
billy SPOTS in fertile. fiat Kiangsu.
Other Large Cities Near BY.
For centuries Soochow has been the
principal Chinese silk market But its
business is not confined to silk and
poultry for in the bazaars that line
the streets and even surround the
temple of Buddha, one can buy any
thing from a bird cage to an outdoor
haircut. or good for-everything pill.
Nearly all Soocfow streets that are
not Venetian style are narrow and
are monopolIzed by 'rickshaws and
wheelbarrows. II one does not ride,
one Is apt to get poked by the bars
of 'rickshaw.
Marking. Wusih, Chinkiang and
Yangchow are also thickly populated
districts. Except Marking these
cities are all on the Grand canal.
Each Of them boast more than 100000
inhabitants Marking Is the capital
Of Kiangsu and was capital of the en-
pire In the Ming dynasty. 1t is the
largest walled city in the world. but
only small portion Of the city Is
now within the 21-mile barrier.
Marking Is not comparable to Shang-
hal as q commercial center, but It
boasts It's educational facilities and
the development of Chinese scholars.
Visitors to Marking are at once at
tracted to the tomb Of the first EN-
peror OF the Ming dynasty. An ave-
nue., mile long, approaching the tomb,
commands splendid view of the city.
At one end of the avenue Is tower
containing large black marble tur-
tie, the Chinese symbol Of long life.
On It's back Is marble tablet eulo.
giving the emperor who is buried at
the other end of the avenue. Be
tween the tower and the tomb the
avenue is lined on both side with
sculptures of elephants, camels, lions
and tigers, facing one another, and
now and then one sees an enormous
statue Of great warrior standing as
a sentinel guarding the funeral way.
The tomb and avenue are decaying
and the marble statues present a Pc
cuiar sight standing In a row in the
middle Of field. Stones are piled
high on the elephants backs. thrown
there by Chinese who believe II the
stones thrown remain on the elephant.
they will bring good luck.