The bore of Hangchow
is not surpassed by that of the Hooghly or of the Bay of Fundy.
Vessels are wrecked by it; and even the monsters of the deep are
unable to contend with the fury of its irresistible advance.
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CHAPTER V
PROVINCE OF KIANGSU
_Nanking--Shanghai--The Yang-tse Kiang--The Yellow River_
Bordering on the sea, traversed by the Grand Canal and the Yang-tse
Kiang, the chief river of the Empire, rich in agriculture, fisheries,
and commerce, Kiangsu is the undisputed queen of the eighteen provinces.
In 1905 it was represented to the throne as too heavy a burden for
one set of officers. The northern section was therefore detached and
erected into a separate province; but before the new government was
organised the Empress Dowager yielded to remonstrances and rescinded
her hasty decree--showing how reluctant she is to contravene the
wishes of her people. What China requires above all things is the
ballot box, by which the people may make their wishes known.
The name of the province is derived from its two chief cities,
Suchow and Nanking. Suchow, the Paris of the Far East, is coupled
with Hangchow in a popular rhyme, which represents the two as paragon
cities:
_"Shang yu t'ien t'ang hia yu Su-Hang."_
"Su and Hang, so rich and fair,
May well with Paradise compare."
[Page 26]
The local dialect is so soft and musical that strolling players from
Suchow are much sought for in the adjacent provinces.
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