There are many kinds of fur, which are divided into different grades according to their warmth and appearance. Among them, the rarest white fox skin has always been the emperor's exclusive, as well as famous fur coats such as wolf skin and tiger skin. Most of these furs are beautiful in appearance, excellent in warmth retention, not only expensive, but also very rare in output.
Although the warmth of dog skin and sheepskin is similar, the appearance is not so beautiful, so in ancient times it was generally used as accessories, such as hats and gloves. Even if fur was produced everywhere, it could not meet people's needs, so many people would choose the north to pay tribute to fur at that time.
Because of the rising demand for fur, people have trade with northern nomads and have more frequent contacts. Even though it was forbidden by the imperial court at that time, many businessmen took risks and chose to purchase goods in the north. Because of trade, nomadic people gradually became stronger, which led to nomadic people wanting to set foot in the Central Plains. Later, after being driven away by Zhu Yuanzhang, they planted a lot of cotton in China.
Although cotton is a cash crop, it can't solve the problem of people's eating at that time, but it can replace fur and has the function of keeping out the cold. So with cotton, the demand for fur has declined and it has become a luxury. However, the popularity of cotton did not appear until the end of the Ming Dynasty.
In Siberia, because it is cold all the year round, even colder than the north of China, the local people have a great demand for fur. At that time, Russian businessmen and Cossack cavalry took a fancy to the fur in the hands of the Siberian people, and they wanted to snatch it, so they launched a crazy expansion movement, thus allowing Siberia to enter the war period.