The information contained here are subject to change. Chinese History Digest is not responsible or liable if any changes should occur.

The Yucheng Postal Stop (a.k.a. Yucheng Post or Mengcheng Post) is located in the historic part of Gaoyou in Jiangsu province. The beautiful town of Gaoyou already was an important traffic hub in ancient China during the time of the Song dynasty. Due to Gaoyou's prime position near the Grand Canal as well as the Gaoyou Lake, building a postal stop there was a logical choice. The Yucheng Postal Stop was then finally built in AD 1375 during the period of the Ming dynasty. Already then, it was built larger than other postal stations and nowadays it is not only considered to be the largest but also the best-preserved ancient postal station in all of China.

entrance and drumtower of the Yucheng Postal Stop in GaoyouBack when the Yucheng Postal Stop was in operation, the empire's official postal carriers could change horses there as well as find food and accomodation before continueing their journey. They could also transfer the mail to another carrier there or to a boat on the Grand Canal. The emperor's special messengers (that carried dispatches throughout the country) as well as ambassadors and other official travellers were also entitled to use the Yucheng Postal Stop as a place to rest and recuperate. Ordinary travellers however could not use the services of an official postal stop as that required a special permit.

The Yucheng Post covers a surface area of about 1.3 hectares. It was in operation for centuries from the year of its founding until 1911 and provided stable work for a staff of about two-hundred people. The about eighty buildings that once occupied the compound were heavily damaged by fire several times but most were repaired/rebuilt after each such incident. During the Qing dynasty in AD 1890, the station was also expanded. Horses played a vital role in the running of a postal station and the Yucheng Post once had twenty stables that provided space for 130 horses.

Huanghua Hall - the main hall of the Yucheng PostWhen postal riders, imperial messengers and/or officials arrived at the station, they would find an ample choice of food available that was prepared by fourteen different kitchens. A small temple also catered to the traveller's spiritual needs. After staying overnight in one of the station's restrooms, most travellers would then continue their journey the next day. The three large and several small depots at this postal station were predominently used to store grain before it was then shipped along the Grand Canal. To facilitate loading, the Yucheng Post then even had its own landing docks (which no longer exist today) at the nearby canal. Up to eightteen boats were at the disposal of the station and the postal couriers. Furthermore, it was not unusual in ancient China for prisoners to be transported from one part of the country to another. These prisoner treks could also stop at a postal station like the Yucheng Post. To prevent the prisoners' escape at night, they were placed in temporary detention cells when their trek rested at the station.

When approaching Gaoyou's Yucheng Postal Stop that is open to the public as the Museum of Chinese Postal History, most visitors' attention will be drawn to the drumtower that faces the road in front of the compound. It is the only surviving drumtower of three that once existed and from its upper level, visitors will enjoy a nice view over the surrounding one-storey buildings. Before climbing up the tower, most visitors will however view the three main halls of the compound, the entrance hall, front hall (a.k.a. Huanghua Hall) and back hall. The front hall is the main hall among them and this is where the administration work of the postal stop was done and where official envoys were received. Besides Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, you will find exhibits in these halls that are meant to illustrate how China's ancient postal system worked (including statistical tables, duty schedules, information about ancient postal laws and the division of responsibilities among the postal station's staff).

furniture inside the main hall of the Yucheng Postal Stop

How to get to the Yucheng Postal Stop in Gaoyou?

On the following Google map, you can see the location of the Yucheng Postal Stop (the blue icon) and the Huifu Jinling Hotel (the yellow hotel bed icon) which is our recommended hotel nearby. Zoom out of the map to see the location of the Shangri-La Hotel Yangzhou, our recommended hotel in the nearby city of Yangzhou. Further below on this page, you can read a review of the services and amenities of both of these hotels. In case you are planning a trip to China, you could support this website by using the provided affiliate links to check prices and book your hotel accomodation!

You can book hotels in China with both of our affiliate partners Agoda and Trip.com. No matter whether you choose Agoda or Trip.com, you will find many offers on each of these platforms that will allow you to make a risk-free booking with the possibility of free cancellation until a clearly stated date and time, sometimes as late as on the intended date of arrival. However, some deals require prepayment and don't permit cancellation without fees. In that case, the incurred cancellation fees are clearly stated.

When following an Agoda link, the search results will show you prices, availability and special offers for your chosen dates with the recommended hotel in the top search position as well as for other hotels in the same area. Links to Trip.com will take you to the specific hotel webpage where you can then search for availability, prices and special deals with your chosen dates.

The provided information was thoroughly researched from various hotel booking websites. Chinese History Digest is not responsible if any information regarding the provided services and amenities might have changed.

Recommended Hotel in Gaoyou

The Huifu Jinling Hotel that is reviewed below is the only 5-star hotel in Gaoyou. It is located only about 1.2 miles away from the Yucheng Postal Stop. In addition to the links to Agoda that are used in the review below, this hotel is also available for booking on Trip.com by following this link.

Recommended Hotel in Yangzhou

Tourists that plan to visit Gaoyou on a day trip from the bigger city of Yangzhou in the south (about a 70 to 90-minute-drive by bus) are recommended to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel Yangzhou. It is a modern and luxurious 5-star hotel close to Yangzhou's famous Slender West Lake. In addition to the links to Agoda that are used in the review below, the Shangri-La Hotel Yangzhou is also available for booking on Trip.com by following this link.