← Explore on the interactive map

Yuan Dynasty Postal Relay Horse System

Type Object Region Yuan dynasty Time 1271–1368

The Yuan postal relay horse system (post station system) was a nationwide transport and communication network linking Eurasia under Yuan rule, inheri…

Timeline

  1. 1271–1280Shangdu (Kaiping) · Inner MongoliaAfter Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty, he extended the Mongol yam system to the Chinese heartland, setting up water-horse and land-horse stations along major routes, with prescribed distances, horses, and relay runners, forming a north-south postal relay backbone.
  2. c. 1280–1320Dadu · BeijingIn the middle and later Zhiyuan era the postal relay system reached full completion, managed by bodies such as the Bureau of Transmission; silver tallies and gold-character round tallies distinguished ranks, and daily horse changes made information exchange between the capital and the provinces extremely rapid.
  3. c. 1321–1330Hexi Corridor post road · GansuIn the 1320s Yuan postal relay horse service continued normal operation, with daily horse changes on trunk routes such as the Hexi Corridor delivering documents and officials, intersecting with Eurasian caravan routes and supporting imperial administration and trade.
  4. c. 1350–1368Jianghuai region · JianghuaiThe Red Turban Rebellion and regional separatism left post stations short of funds and relay runners deserting, paralyzing the postal relay network over large areas; after the Ming dynasty was founded it rebuilt the post station system, but the system had already changed generations.

Sources