Huòlù

Huolu stood near the eastern entrance to the Taihang routes, where traffic from Shanxi reached the North China Plain. The road east of the county town supported a chain of postal stopping places. In the early Ming, Yuecun, fifteen li east of Huolu, became a yipu, or postal station, as routes linking the capital with the provinces were restored.

Trade gathered around this transport infrastructure. Goods from Beijing and Tianjin met products coming from Shanxi and Shaanxi, alongside coastal salt and other merchandise. Shops and services spread beside the road, and Yuecun became a busy trading place within the county. This local example shows how Huolu's position at the mountain approaches could support commerce beyond the county seat itself, with official communications and private exchange sharing the same corridor.