China by Harry Alverson Franck — Read

Foochow is one of the most important ports along the southern coast of China. It is not exactly on the coast, however, being thirty-four miles up the Min River. The old city was placed three miles back from the river, because in the olden days the inhabitants feared attacks by pirates. Now there is also a long, slender city all the way from the walled town to the river. Besides, two islands in the river are so covered with houses and shops and people that it is hard to draw one's breath, and on the farther bank is still more city. Part of this last is the foreign concession, called Nantai, with one long modern street or road shaded by big evergreens and lined by comfortable foreign houses, offices, schools, and churches, each in its own yard.

The view from these foreign houses over the several parts of Foochow and up and down the Min is very picturesque. Besides the people crowded upon the two islands and on the mainland there are thousands who live in boats. These are packed tightly together, row after row, so that the water too seems to have its streets. If a boat gets a job carrying a passenger or some freight it is very fortunate, for there are many more boats than there are boating jobs. Most of the boats simply serve as homes, and the man goes ashore in the daytime to earn the family rice by pulling a rickshaw or doing any other work he can find.