ures , ▁was ▁more ▁suitable ▁to ▁the ▁dry , ▁extreme ▁climate ▁of ▁the ▁north west ▁region . ▁To ▁promote ▁this ▁method , ▁he ▁author ed ▁two ▁pam ph lets ▁explaining ▁the ▁method ▁which ▁were ▁then ▁distributed ▁freely ▁to ▁local ▁far ming ▁communities . ▁Zu o ▁also ▁recogn ised ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁op ium ▁to ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁stability ▁and ▁economic ▁health ▁and ▁advoc ated ▁replacing ▁op ium ▁po pp ies ▁with ▁cot ton ▁as ▁the ▁major ▁c ash ▁c rop ▁in ▁G ans u ▁and ▁Sh a an xi ▁provinces . ▁He ▁author ised ▁the ▁large ▁scale ▁distribution ▁of ▁cot ton ▁se eds ▁and ▁published ▁pam ph lets ▁on ▁its ▁cultiv ation ▁and ▁processing . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁he ▁also ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁we aving ▁factory ▁in ▁present - day ▁Mul an ▁County , ▁G ans u ▁Province , ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁creating ▁a ▁new ▁text ile ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁providing ▁soci ally - accept able ▁employ ment ▁to ▁women . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁man aging ▁the ▁pe asant ry ▁by ▁impro ving ▁their ▁economic ▁circumstances , ▁Zu o ▁also ▁believed ▁that ▁increasing ▁access ▁to ▁traditional ▁Chinese ▁philosophy ▁would ▁help ▁to ▁pac ify ▁areas ▁experien cing ▁un rest ▁and ▁ultimately ▁create ▁a ▁more ▁content ed ▁and ▁un ified ▁popul ace . ▁To ▁this ▁end , ▁Zu o ▁set ▁up ▁an ▁printing ▁press ▁in ▁north western ▁China ▁which ▁printed ▁Chinese ▁class ics , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁agricult ural ▁pam ph