HANKOW, han-kow' of the Han"), China, a city and river-port in the province of Hu-peh, at the junction of the Han with the Yang-tse (Yangtsze or Yangtze) River, 600 miles above the mouth of the Yang-tse, which is navigable for large vessels up to the town. On the opposite bank of the Han is Hanyang, on the other side of the Yang-tse is Wuchang, the three together form ing one immense city (for such it is virtually and in the estimation of many of the inhab itants). In addition there is a large floating population, the Han being densely crowded with junks for about half a mile above its mouth. In 1857 the city was almost totally de stroyed by the Taipings. The port was opened to foreign trade by the Treaty of Tientsin, ratified in 1860; and soon became the chief emporium for the tea trade of the central provinces. Revolutionists in 1911 attacked and set fire to the city; in 1912 they captured it and made it the provisional capital. A conces sion of about 90 acres of land apart from Chinese jurisdiction is laid out like an Eng lish town. The residents of the British conces sion are formed into a municipality, with a council empowered to levy taxes. There are also German, French and Russian settlements. The foreign trade of this port is well described by the consul-general of the United States who writes (15 July 1916) that Hankow is a flourishing city with many modern conveniences and with a trade passing through the maritime customs valued at $113,940,933 in 1915, exclusive of treasure and coins, which amounted to $20, 957,909—the foreign trade being equal to that of the port of Baltimore in 1914. Imports
from foreign countries and Hongkong in 1915 were valued at $17,088,093 and from other Chi nese ports, $15,757,526, showing a reduction in the imports of more than $10,000,000 occasioned by the European War. A statement of the di rect trade of the port of Hankow with foreign countries in 1914 and 1915 derived from the maritime customs returns shows, for the former year, imports from Belgium valued at $1,624, 151; from British India $1,863,497; from Dutch East Indies $1,416,507; from Germany $1,159, 046; from Great Britain $3,138,921; from Hongkong $2,329,116; from Japan (including Taiwan) $9,406,170; from the United States (including Hawaii) $2,936,400. In 1915 we find imports from the United States (including Hawaii) $2,637,262; British India $1,980,275; Dutch East Indies $1,331,106; Great Britain $1,706,269; Hongkong $1,778,703; Japan (in cluding Taiwan) $7,297,795. We omit the countries the imports from which amounted to less than $1,000,000. Belgium and Germany disappeared entirely from the list. The chief article of export is tea (valued at $17,917,665 in 1915). An estimate of the population of the city in the larger sense is 1,321,280; of Hankow alone and in the narrower sense, about 830,000.