Abstract: The river transportation in Ankang District was very busy in Qing Dynasty contributing greatly to the economic and cultural development in the region. Owing to the special geographical factors of Ankang the shipping of goods on the rivers was very risky. Accidents were frequent producing a large number of disputes. The customary law of river transport in the Ankang District emerged as the times demanded and filled in gaps in the law of Qing Dynasty. Inscriptions on the stone tablets for Ankang indicate that these customary laws were the first concrete set of regulations for settling disputes and that these regulations embodied some important principles as well as the spirit of modern maritime law.