SUNGPAN TING 143 



tribes. Tea is the all-important medium employed, this 

 commodity and a few odd sundries being taken in exchange 

 by the tribesmen for their medicines, skins, wool, musk, etc. 

 During the month of July a fair is held annually for trade 

 purposes. The people from far and near attend this fair, a 

 vast amount of business being transacted. Trading caravans 

 also make long journeys into the country north-west to the 

 borders of the Kokonor regions. Wool, sheep-skins, and various 

 medicines in great quantity are exported from Sungpan to 

 different parts of China. 



The trade passing through Sungpan is, I am convinced, 

 not only greater than has been estimated, but is increasing 

 annually. In 1903, on the occasion of my first visit to this 

 town, I enjoyed the companionship of W. C. Haines-Watson, 

 Esq., then Commissioner of the Imperial Maritime Customs 

 at Chungking. This gentleman investigated the trade of this 

 region, estimating the exports to Thibet at Tls. 801,000, and 

 those into China at Tls. 512,000 (" Journey to Sungp'an," 

 Jour. China Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc, 1905, xxxvi). Our 

 visit occurred before the city had recovered from the disastrous 

 fire of 1901, and trade was suffering in consequence. In 1910 

 trade was evidently booming. I have no figures to guide me, 

 but comparing the two visits I would put the trade with China 

 alone at a million taels. This trade has three outlets : one, 

 east, via Lungan Fu to Chungpa ; another, south-east, via 

 Mao Chou, Shihch'uan Hsien to An Hsien ; the third through 

 Kuan Hsien to Chengtu. The iirst two routes afford water 

 communication from Chungpa and An Hsien respectively, 

 with Chungking on the Yangtsze River. By these routes 

 most of the goods intended for Chungking and beyond are 

 conveyed. The trade via Kuan Hsien is mainly with Chengtu 

 and other cities on the plain. This latter trade route has been 

 looked upon as the most important, whereas it is really less 

 so than either of the other two outlets. 



The late Captain W. J. Gill in 1877 was the first Occidental 

 to visit Sungpan. Since that date several foreigners have 

 paid visits, and missionaries of Protestant denominations have 

 made abortive attempts to establish stations there. I have 

 visited this place three times, and on each occasion enjoyed 



