How did the Huang He’s change of course affect Tianjin’s inland waterway traffic?

When the Huang He (Yellow River) shifted its course in the early 1850s, it caused the Grand Canal to become silted up. This development significantly restricted inland waterway traffic through Tianjin, which had previously served as a vital commercial hub and the northern terminus of the canal.1

As a result of these changes, shipping operations in the city were forced to shift eastward along the banks of the Hai River, and new facilities were subsequently developed at Dagu and Tanggu at the river's mouth to accommodate maritime trade. By 1900, these shifts contributed to Tianjin’s evolution into an important ocean shipping center.1