Jimingyi, the Rooster Crowing Posthouse, is one of the most famous postal stations in Chinese history. It lies on an ancient messenger relay route, along which the orders of the emperor were carried by messengers on horseback, day and night, through rain, hail and shine.

 Location

Jimingyi is situated in Huailai county, Hebei province, on the north side of the Yang River and at the foot of Jiming Mountain. It is about 140 km northwest of Beijing , a 2-hour drive via the super-highway towards Zhangjiakou. Jimingyi is noted for its extensive history, well-preserved ancient residential houses, undeveloped ancient township, and the biggest post-house in China to date.

 History

Jimingyi's history dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). In 1219, Genghis Khan, the great leader of the Mongolians, implemented a post road and built a postal station -- Jimingyi -- midway between Beijing and the northern town of Xuanhua. Eighty percent of the architecture in Jimingyi is from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The oldest construction is Ningyong Temple, dating back 800 years. In 1913, after the Government of Beiyang repealed Jimingyi and enabled a new postal system, the oldest postal station in China ended its historical role and became a memorable Chinese town.

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