Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 130 (Color Image)

0130	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

CHAPTER XI

LAN-CHOW TO TANGAR

LAN-CHOW, now officially called Kao-lan-hsien, is

a city of some 300,000 inhabitants and is 5300 feet

above sea-level. It has a dry climate except

during the rainy season in July and August.

And even in March Pereira experienced beautiful

warm summer weather. The city has an inner

wall, and on the west, south and east sides an

outer mud wall enclosing an inner suburb. Beyond

this is a more scattered outer suburb. The Huang

Ho (Yellow River) flows past the north wall. An

iron bridge built by a German firm in 1908 spans

the river north-west of the city.

Several Europeans live in Lan-chow, and Pereira

was entertained by Mons. Geerts, the Salt Com-

missioner, and his sister, and lived in luxury and

comfort through their overwhelming kindness and

hospitality. Père Esser, of the Belgian-Dutch Mis-

sion Etrangères, and the members of the China

Inland Mission also showed Pereira the greatest

hospitality. Mons. Geerts was formerly director

of some copper and gold mines near Sining. If

he had been allowed to manage them they would

have been profitable, but as usual a horde of

Chinese officials, whose sole business was to squeeze

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