Ming Post Station and Relay System

Timeline

1. 1370–1380Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · JiangnanIn the early years of the dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor reformed the late-Yuan relay system, cutting redundant stations, setting staffing quotas, and regulating horses and labor, extending an official post road network from Nanjing to the provinces.
2. 1385–1400Junction of the Grand Canal and land post roads · North ChinaBy the end of the 14th century, post stations and express relay stations had spread along the Grand Canal, the Qinling–Huaihe trunk route, and the northwestern post roads; official documents traveled hundreds of li per day, and tribute envoys and officials relied on relay handoffs.
3. 1420–1644Shuntian Prefecture (Beijing) · North ChinaAfter the Yongle relocation of the capital, Beijing became the hub of the relay system, northern trunk lines were densified and linked with the Xuan-Da and Liaodong frontier post roads; despite repeated station cuts in the mid-to-late Ming, the system endured until the fall of the Ming.