Meiling Posthouse

The Meiling Posthouse

The Meiling Posthouse, also known as a "courier station" or "Zhiyou," was an ancient facility where couriers and officials rested, and where military intelligence and official correspondence were transmitted. It also served as a stopover for travelers to rest and change horses or carriages. Historical records indicate that as early as the Zhou Dynasty, lodging facilities were established along major transportation routes in China to provide food and shelter for travelers and couriers. The postal relay system had a history of more than 3,000 years, but few physical relics or sites remain. In ancient times, posthouses primarily served to accommodate letter-bearing envoys. With horses racing at full speed, it might still take days for a single letter to reach its destination — hence the expression, “A family letter is worth its weight in gold.”

Meiling Post, also known as Dayu Post. The county annals record: “Twenty kilometers south of Shuicheng, amidst towering ridges and steep steps that rise into the clouds, there used to be a posthouse to the north, with a plaque inscribed ‘Land of Plum Blossoms.’” During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the posthouse was relocated inside the city to the Courier Gate, becoming known as the Shuima Post (“Water-Horse Post”). “There were carts and horses for overland travel, and red boats for water routes.” The posthouse also included stables for donkeys and horses, with 80 couriers, as well as several red boats and 20 horses. The currently reconstructed Meiling Posthouse was funded and built by the county government in 1991. It is located east of Jieling Bridge, at the foot of Meiling Mountain. The original site is said to have been the ancient Xia Ma Ping (Dismounting Flat). Facing west and built in a traditional style, it follows the Hakka round-house design and consists of two parts: the front section features a winding corridor, while the rear has a semi-circular structure supported by several pillars. Between the corridor and the building lies a semi-circular courtyard. The main gate has a hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles, red-painted pillars, and a couplet that reads: “A slice of Nan’an’s river, a bloom of plum on Meiling’s ridge.”