In the ancient Han dynasty the famous Fubo General Lu Bode led a naval unit of 100，000 men across the mountains from what is today Hunan province to Lianzhou in Guangdong province. There they cut down forests and built a fleet of warships and sailed down the rivers to Canton and then to the sea. The events of Lu Bode were important milestones in ancient Chinese history and in the development of what has become known as the “ancient roads” that connected the mountains along the Hunan-Guangdong-Guangxi border via the North River with Canton，the greater Pearl River delta，and the seas beyond. This was a vital strategic route not only for politico-military purposes but also for trade and communications between the interior and the sea from the ancient period to modern times. Based on textual sources and fieldwork this paper is a case study of the Lianyang（Lianzhou，Lianshan，and Yangshan）trading system. By the late imperial age（Ming and Qing dynasties）there already existed a sophisticated and highly integrated trading system that linked intraregional，transregional，and transnational trade，as well as coastal ports with riverine and highland markets.