Section 3 Extension and Development toward Inland

Work site of the Qing Post in Chengdu

Post, this new communication mode, had strong vitality and was needed by the nation and society. So government and local administrations attached portance to it Official Post Office was set up according to the imperial edict, which intended to "carry it out all over the country", "popularize it toward inland" and "develop it step by step". In 24th year of Guangxu (1898), i.e the third year that Official Post Office was set up. Kang Youwei suggested to the Emperor Guangxu "to set up post communication, to set up branch offices in all provinces, counties and villages". The Emperor instructed the Prime Office to discuss it. In the same year, some officials suggested to set up branches in the capital to popularize post all over the country. On July 27, the Emperor issued the imperial edict of popularizing post that: "civilians think post offices set up in the capital and trading ports are convenient, so branches should be set up to promote communication. All provinces, counties can set up post office if it can afford so that there will be no delay in document delivery, where there are post delivery, the number can be decreased". By the urge of the Emperor, the Prime Office, local administration office and official post office all vigorously popularized post to inland. Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong submitted their suggestions to the Emperor about post promotion, claiming to set up post offices in all provinces, counties, which would be managed by the administrator of the .counties. The General Office of each province would drew up regulations and issued stamps. They also raised to take back post to Prevent it from being occupied by foreigners. This suggestion opposed to Hart's idea. Although it wasn't be adopted by the Prime Office, its functions for promoting post to develop to inland was obvious. In 1901, Shanxi Governor sent letter to Hart to set up Post office in Taiyuan that would be connected with Zhengding and would deliver mails for free and issued such announcements. In this period, all Province governors knew more clearly about post, so post was popularized and developed toward inland. The establishment of Xinjiang Post and Promotion of postal route was also undertaken under the governor, request and support. In 2-3 years, the number of post offices increased to 50, postal routes increased to 6,000 km.

Under the support of government and local administration, basic facilities of post developed rapidly. It was recorded that in 1904, there were 40 post areas and subordinate post areas in 18 Provinces all over the country. In post areas general office or subordinate general office were set up under which there were branch organizations: branch office, inland agency and post box. By then, besides general office and subordinate general office, there were 352 branch offices and 927 agencies, total l,319 post Offices. In over ten years, post offices continued to expand. By 191 l, the number of general offices and subordinate general offices had reached 49, post offices ed branch offices 957, agencies 3,244, total 4,250. At the meantime of post office's rapid development, postal route continued to extend. After the Qing government set up post, national communication industry was developing. In 1904, there were 9 opened railways: Jing-Han, Jing-Tong, Jin-Yu, Jiao-Ji. Other railways were under construction. Navigation was quite advanced along coastal areas and both sides of rivers. Ships would come and go by routine. River boat navigation was prosperous, which provide convenience for extending postal route. Inland long-distance postal route used walking postmen or post delivery members to deliver. Development of postal route was quite rapid. By 1904, postal route had reached 50,500 km long. Later it expanded year by year. By 1991, it had reached 159,500 km long, and boat postal route 10,000 km, ship postal route, l,250,000 km, train postal route 8,500 km, total 190,500 km long.

China territory was vast, roads were long. In the total length of postal route land route accounted for 80%, mostly were on foot, with rain and flood in summers wind and snow in winter, many postal routes went through deserts or mountain, with rugged roads, animals and bandits haunting, difficult for walking. Especially in Emperor Xuantong Period, postal route developed to border areas gradually, from Jiayu Pass of Gansu to Urumgi and Ta Er Ba Ha Tai. Meanwhile. there were 9 postal routes within Xinjiang. In Tibet, postal routes went through India to Yadong, opening up Yadong-Jiangzi-Lasa route. In Mongolia, by the convenience of Jing-Zhang Railway, postal routes were established from Kulun to Zhangjiakou and Kulun to Qia Ke Tu, which were l,350 km long and improved a lot for the post in border areas.