The Tang dynasty (618 to 907 AD) operated a recorded 1,639 posthouses, including maritime offices, employing around 20,000 people. The system was administered by the Ministry of War and private correspondence was forbidden from the network. The Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644) sought a postal system to deliver mail quickly, securely, and cheaply. Adequate speed was always a problem, because of the slow overland transportation system, and underfunding. Its network had 1,936 posthouses every 60 li along major routes, with fresh horses available every 10 li between them.Chelsea Zi Wang, "More Haste, Less Speed: Sources of Friction in the Ming Postal System". Late Imperial China 40.2 (2019): 89–140. The Qing operated 1,785 posthouses throughout their lands. More efficient, however, was the system linking the international settlements, centered around Shanghai and the Treaty ports. It was the main communication system for China's international trade.Lane J. Harris, "Stumbling towards empire: the Shanghai Local Post Office, the transnational British community and informal empire in China, 1863–97". Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 46.3 (2018): 418–445.
The Tang dynasty (618 to 907 AD) operated a recorded 1639 posthouses including maritime offices employing around 20000 people The system was administered by the Ministry of War and private correspondence was forbidden from the network The Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644) sought a postal system to deliver mail quickly securely and cheaply Adequate speed was always a problem because of the slow overland transportation system and underfunding Its network had 1936 posthouses every 60 li along major routes with fresh horses available every 10 li between themChelsea Zi Wang "More Haste Less Speed Sources of Friction in the Ming Postal System" Late Imperial China 402 (2019) 89–140 The Qing operated 1785 posthouses throughout their lands More efficient however was the system linking the international settlements centered around Shanghai and the Treaty ports It was the main communication system for China's international tradeLane J Harris "Stumbling towards empire the Shanghai Local Post Office the transnational British community and informal empire in China 1863–97" Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 463 (2018) 418–445