3i6  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE
is  the  best  and  cheapest  and  the  most  frequented  route
into  Shansi.
11.  The  Kiakhta  route  is,  and  has  been  for  more  than
two  centuries,  one  of  the  most  important  trade  routes  #
the  Empire.  North  of  the  Yangtze  communication  from
east  to  west  is  blocked  by  steep  mountain  slopes,  the  Yellow
River  acts  as  a  barrier  to  trade,  and  north  of  the  Yellow
River  the  elevated  mass  of  Shansi  interposes  a  further
barrier.  It  is  only  when  the  elevated  but  generally  traversable ­
  plains  of  Mongolia  are  reached,  that  a  way  is  found
available  for  traffic  from  the  eastern  shore  to  the  extreme
west.  The  main  route  from  Tienstin  and  Peking  goes  by
Kalgan  across  Mongolia  to  Kiakhta,  and,  branching  off  at
Kalgan,  the  traffic  goes  also  west  to  Shensi,  and,  farther
west,  to  Kansu  ;  camels  and  mule  carts  furnish  the  mean*
of  transport.  By  this  route  goes  the  caravan  tea  for  Russ#
and  brick  tea  for  Siberia,  and  by  this  route  and  its  branches
Mongolia,  Shansi,  northern  Shensi,  and  Kansu  obtain  their
supplies  and  forward  their  products,  making  Tientsin  the
shipping  port  for  a  hinterland  extending  considerably  over
a  thousand  miles  to  the  west  and  north-west.  Statistic 5
give  us  but  a  slight  indication  of  the  volume  of  this  traffic
burdened  by  the  cost  of  land  transport  over  long  distances,
but  a  few  items  may  be  noted.  In  1905  tea  with  a
weight  of  357,265  piculs,  valued  at  Tls.2,861,660,  crossed
the  Mongolian  frontier  by  this  route  ;  and  in  the  san#
year  foreign  products  were  forwarded  from  Tientsin,  under
transit  pass,  to  Shansi  valued  at  Tls.5,664,950,  to  Shei# 1
Tls.74,509,  to  Kansu  and  Turkestan  Tls.679,575,  and
Mongolia  Tls.217,300.  Certain  articles  of  Chinese  prodn ce
shipped  from  Tientsin  can  be  identified  as  probably
originating  in  Mongolia  or  in  Kansu  ;  among  these  afe
wool  (of  camel,  goat,  and  sheep),  of  which  the  Tients#
export  in  1905  was  186,918  piculs  valued  at  Tls.3,326,00 0 '
and  skins  (goat  and  sheep),  valued  at  Tls.3,725,000.
12.  The  Manchurian  route  is  important  for  the  future»
as  soon  as  peace  conditions  shall  have  been  fully  restore
because  of  the  construction  of  the  railway  from  lall el1