Shasi

Shasi, a city in the province of Hu-peh, China, on the left bank of the river Yangtsze, about 85 m. below Ich`ang. Pop. about 80,000. It was opened to foreign trade under the Japanese treaty of 1895. The town lies below the summer level of the Yangtsze, from which it is protected by a strong embankment. Formerly Shasi was a great distributing centre, but the opening of Ich`ang to foreign trade diverted much of the traffic to the last-named port. It is the terminus of an extensive network of canals which run through the low country lying on the north bank of the Yangtsze as far down as Hankow. Native boats, as a rule, prefer the canal route to the turbulent waters of the Yangtsze, their cargoes being transhipped at Shasi across the embankment into river boats. Foreign residents are few, and the trade passing through the maritime customs is comparatively insignificant. The place is still, however, a large distributing centre for native trade, and is the seat of an extensive manufacture of native cotton cloth. The British consulate was withdrawn in January 1899, British interests being placed under the care of the consul at Ich'ang.