Chaozhou

“ Thus there has gradually grown up around and upon the concessions a large Chinese city, believed by many to contain almost as large a population as the city within the walls. This is not incredible when we consider that the excesses of the Tae-Pings in Soo-Chow, a large city about thirty miles from Shanghai, have driven vast numbers of its inhabitants to the latter place, which, being already densely crowded, has overflowed its walls, and, as the presence of Europeans has made Shanghai, as it were, a city of refuge for the exiles, they have naturally crowded around the foreign settlement. ”

“ These clan fights have done not a little to promote the China coolie traffic in its most revolting type, in supplying emigrants.
Chao-chow-fu is a walled city of considerable size and great commercial importance, as one may gather from its extensive warehouses, the busy traffic of its streets, the number of native craft that throng the river on which it stands. The bridge over the river is, perhaps, one of the most remarkable in China. Like old London Bridge, with its shops and places of business, the bridge at Chao-chow-fu affords space for one of the city markets. ”

“ Tao Qian entered the city, then gathered everyone in order to deliberate on a strategy. He said, "Cao's army cannot be stopped. I should tie myself up and go to Cao's camp. I will allow myself to be cut to pieces in order to save the citizens of Xuzhou." Before he had finished speaking, someone stepped forward and said, "Governor, you have maintained law and order in Xuzhou for a long time now. The people are grateful. Even though Cao's army is vast, it cannot breach the walls of our city. You and the citizens should stay in the city and defend yourselves. ”

“ It is a walled town, ranking as a Hsien city, with a Hsien magistrate as its chief ruler. There are 10,000 people (more or less) , within the walls, but the city is poor, and its poverty is but a reflex of the district. Its mud wall is crumbling; its houses of mud and wood are falling; the streets are ill-paved and the people ill-clad. [Pg 97]
CHAPTER VIII. The City of Chaotong, with some remarks on its Poverty, Infanticide, Selling Female Children into Slavery, Tortures, and the Chinese Insensibility to Pain. ”

“ They told him that a spy had recently informed them that the army of Xue Lan and Li Feng had left Yanzhou on a looting excursion, and the city was now empty. A winning army could be led there to attack them, taking the city in one fell swoop. Cao accordingly led his army straight toward Yanzhou. Xue Lan and Li Feng were caught unawares, but had no choice but to lead their reserve forces out of the city in order to meet the enemy in battle. Xu Chu said, "I am willing to take these two and offer them to you as a gift in order to commemorate my first meeting with you." ”

“ Most of my readers are aware that in spite of a host of troubles (not the least of which was the Taiping rebellion, or rather, I believe, the attack upon the city by the short-sword or dagger rebels) Shanghai has continued to advance steadily, and has always maintained its position as the greatest emporium of China. It must be at the same time borne in mind that this commercial success is, in some measure at least, attributable to the European customs' administration which was inaugurated at this city in 1843, and which now extends its ramifications to all the open ports of the Empire. ”

“ From the fine parade along the river,—the Bund it is called,—with its turfed slopes, Shanghai is alive, right away to the men-of-war, local steamers, and launches. The streets are full, even crowded, with passers-by and rickshas—the original "Pull-man car of Shanghai." On the Bund the business is performed, and its occupants are indeed busy. It is a wonderful sight for the stranger from Europe, who expects things to be Chinese-like. ”

“ Many old Shanghailanders, who have left the Settlement, now look forward to the monthly appearance of the magazine by the homeward-bound mail, and on perusing its interesting columns fancy themselves back in the gay Far Eastern city of which they retain endearing recollections. From its inception up to the present day Social Shanghai has been the work of only one lady, who, after working hard for years, alone and almost unaided, has the satisfaction now of knowing that her production has met a want, is being appreciated, and is extending its scope and usefulness month by month. ”

“ The foreign concession is surrounded by streams and ditch from the rest, and is virtually an island isolated. The river bounds one side, and brooks the others; one crossed bridges and ditches, and finds change and decay! There is an Anglo-Chinese settlement, but all the foreign side is clean, well lighted by lamps and electricity, with fine houses, warehouses, and public buildings. Shanghai is no longer China in the settlements.
In the American settlement my friend Eagan, whom I suspected was an American bred, had indicated the hotel on the Broadway. ”

“ Life is in a whirl at Shanghai. The river bund is crowded, and so is the long, winding Bubbling Well Road. The concessions are splendidly managed from a foreign point of view, and vie with each other in public spirit. The Chinese, however, feel greater warmth for Hongkong, which gives them representation on the council. In Shanghai there are mixed courts, consular courts, an American Superior Court, and Chinese courts. The Chinese are planning for the day when they will try all Chinese offenders. There is an imposing cathedral, and a modern Venetian style railway station. ”

“ When little Miss Chao had reached the age of fourteen or fifteen she was taken by her parents to an office in the northern part of the imperial city of Peking where her name, age, personal appearance, and estimated degree of intelligence and potential ability were registered, as is done in the case of all the daughters of the Manchu people. The reason for this singular proceeding is that when the time comes for the selection of a wife or a concubine for the Emperor, or the choosing of serving girls for the palace, those in charge of these matters will know where they can be obtained. ”

“ All around the plain is intersected with deep drains, the muddy bottoms of which the sporting members of the Shanghai Hunt Club now and again make involuntary acquaintance. The position of Shanghai, situated as it is near the mouth of the Yangtze, marks it out as the future emporium of the commerce of Central China, through which must ebb and flow the ever-growing trade of nine of the eighteen provinces of the Middle Kingdom. The social intercourse between the foreign and the Chinese communities is very restricted, a restriction that cannot be laid entirely at the door of either side ”

“ There have been famous consuls at Shanghai, like Sir Harry Parkes, whose statue is erected on the bund. He became British minister, and did much for British diplomacy and world trade in Chinese wars. The first government of the rebellion of October, 1911, opened in Shanghai, with Wu Ting Fang as foreign minister. Shanghai, like Tientsin and other river ports, has its great conservancy question in the matter of keeping the channel free from loess and sand silt. Dredging is infinitely too expensive, and the wit of man has to be matched against the will of tide and stream. ”

“ Cao ordered Dian Wei and Xu Chu to be in the lead force. Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan were placed in charge of the Army of the Left, Li Dian and Yue Jin were placed in charge of the Army of the Right, Cao personally took command of the Army of the Center, and Yu Jin and Lü Qian brought up the rear. When Cao's armies arrived at Puyang, Lü Bu wanted to personally go out to meet them, but Chen Gong admonished, "You must not engage them in battle. Wait for all of your generals to gather, before doing anything." Lü Bu said, "I'm not afraid of anyone." ”

“ Shanghai has always been able to hold its own as the great Chinese emporium of foreign trade. It was therefore with feelings of profound interest that I for the first time beheld the splen- did foreign settlement that stands there on the banks of the Wong-poo, at a spot which about sixty years ago was a mere swamp dotted with a few fisher huts, and inhabited by a miser- able semi-aquatic sort of Chinese population. ”

“ Rocky went to the Astor House, across Soochow Creek, which was still, in 1911, a famous stopping place for the tourists, diplomats, military and commercial men, and all the other more prosperous among the white travelers that pour into Shanghai from everywhere else in the world by the great ships that plow unceasingly the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Yellow and China Seas; to pour out again (in peaceful times) from Shanghai by rail and by lesser craft of the river and the coast to Hong Kong and Manila to Hankow, to Tientsin and Peking, to Nagasaki, Kobe, Yokohoma and Tokio.... ”

“ You could then send a secret letter to him, instructing him to kill Lü Bu. If he is successful, then Bei will have lost a powerful ally. That will make it easier for us to eventually plot against him. If he is unsuccessful, then Lü Bu will be forced to kill Bei. This is what I mean by 'two tigers fight each other over food.'" Cao followed his advice and immediately petitioned the emperor to issue a decree and have it hand-carried by a messenger to Xuzhou. The decree designated Liu Bei as General who Conquers the East and Marquis of Yicheng Ting. It also officially made him governor of Xuzhou. ”

“ From every point of view Shanghai is doomed. However, in our scheme of development of China, Shanghai has certain claims for our consideration which may prove its salvation as an important city. The curse of Shanghai as a world port for future commerce is the silt of the Yangtze which fills up all its approaches rapidly every year. This silt, according to the estimation of Mr. Von Heidenstam, Engineer-in-chief of the Whangpoo Conservancy36 Board, is a hundred million tons a year and is sufficient to cover an area of forty square miles ten feet deep. ”

“ On the Bund lights appeared. The little paper lanterns of rickshaws bobbed and flitted everywhere. Mark turned and walked aimlessly toward the Soochow bridge.
There was a padding of feet behind him, and a tolerably neat Chinese in a faded blue coat and linen trousers appeared at his side.
"Me come velly click hotel-side," this person announced. "Melican man no go Shanghai all alone night-time. No see Shanghai here; here all Melican Blitish man. No see Shanghai till see Chinee city. Me velly hon'able plecious guide." ”

“ Shanghai is an example of one of the curious anomalies which have been generated by the collision of Western progress with Eastern stagnancy. It presents, indeed, an astonishing phenomenon, a European city—not unfit to be the capital of many a European country—dumped down on a Chinese mud-flat. The mud-flat is still the property of China, who receives ground-rent from the foreigner who has spread his palatial mansions over it ”

“ The native city is a walled enclosure, somewhat larger than that at Shanghai, and with nearly double its population ; but as for the foreign trade of the place, it has never been very important, in spite of the proximity of Hang-chow-fu, the capital of the province, which the great Venetian, when he passed through it, described as an Eastern Paradise.
Among the chief attractions of Ningpo are the Fukien guildhall, the " Tien-how-kung, " as it is called, or '* Temple of the Queen of Heaven"; one of the finest buildings of the kind in China. ”

“ Han Fu, the overlord of Jizhou, had dispatched people to send more grain for the use of Shao's army. The advisor Pang Ji implored Shao, saying, "You have license to do as you please anywhere in the country, why wait for someone to send grain for you to eat? Jizhou has an abundance of food and riches. Why don't you confiscate what you need from there?" Shao said, "I don't have a good strategy." Ji replied, "You could secretly send someone with an express letter to Gongsun Zan, ordering him to advance his army and take over Jizhou. ”

“ Chia Huan readily replied, "when Ying Erh insulted me, and deprived me of my money, and brother Pao-yü drove me away."
"Ts'ui!" exclaimed Mrs. Chao, "who bade you (presume so high) as to get up into that lofty tray? You low and barefaced thing! What place is there that you can't go to and play; and who told you to run over there and bring upon yourself all this shame?"
As she spoke, lady Feng was, by a strange coincidence, passing outside under the window; so that every word reached her ear, and she speedily asked from outside the window: "What are you up to in this happy first moon? ”

“ No Imperial Commissioner ever conducts business at Shanghai. There being a particular sphere of duty allotted to every official on the establishment of the Celestial Empire, and the principle that between them and the foreigner there is no intercourse being one ever religiously adhered to by the servants of our Government of China, it would not be proper for me to reply in person to the letter of the English Minister. ”

“ Similarly, if you leave too few troops behind, then Lü Bu will take advantage of the situation and invade. If that happens, you will lose Yanzhou. Then, if you fail to capture Xuzhou, where shall you return? Although Tao Qian is now dead, Liu Bei is still guarding the city. The citizens of Xuzhou are all supporting Bei, and will fight to the death for him. If Your Excellency abandons Yanzhou in order to take Xuzhou, it would be throwing away something major for something minor. ”