keeping either the roads or canals in
repair. The roads in several instances are subsidiary to the canals
and navigable rivers as a means of communication. The ancient trade
routes were twelve in number, viz.[24]:--

1. The West river route (W. from Canton).
2. The Cheling Pass route (N.W. from Canton).
3. The Meiling Pass route (N. from Canton).
4. The Min river route (N.W. from Fu-chow).
5. The Lower Yangtsze route (as far W. as Hu-peh and Hu-nan).
6. The Upper Yangtsze route (from I'chang to Sze-ch'uen).
7. The Kwei-chow route.
8. The Han river route (Hankow to Shen-si).
9. The Grand Canal (already described).
10. The Shan-si route.
11. The Kiakhta route.
12. The Manchurian route.

Of the routes named, that by the West river commands the trade of
Kwang-si and penetrates to Yun-nan (where it now has to meet the
competition of the French railway from Tong King) and Kwei-chow. The
Cheling Pass route from Canton is so named as it crosses that pass
(1500 ft. high) to reach the water-ways of Hu-nan at Chen-chow on an
affluent of the Siang, and thus connects with the Yangtsze. The trade
of this route--whence in former times the teas of Hu-nan (Oonam) and
Hu-peh (Oopaek) reached Canton--has been largely diverted via Shanghai
and up the Yangtsze. The Canton-Hankow railway also supersedes it for
through traffic. The route by the Meiling Pass (1000 ft. High) links
Canton and Kiu-kiang. This route is used by the King-te Chen porcelain
works to send, to Canton the commoner ware, there to be painted with
florid and multicoloured designs. The Min river route serves mainly
the province of Fu-kien. The Lower Yangtsze is a river route, now
mainly served by steamers (though the salt is still carried by junks),
and the Upper Yangtsze is a river route also, but much more difficult
of navigation. The Kwei-chow route is up the river Yuen from Changte
and the Tung-t'ing lake. The Han river route becomes beyong Sing-nagn
Fu a land route over the Tsingling mountains to the capital of
Shen-si, and thence on to Kan-suh, Mongolia and Siberia. The Shan-si
route from Peking, wholly by road, calls for no detailed account; the
Manchurian route is now adequately served by railways. There remains
the important Kiakhta route. From Peking it goes to Kalgan (this
section is now served by a railway), whence the main route travers