Tea-Horse Trade
The Tea-Horse Trade began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. The Tea-Horse Trade was a traditional trade relationship established between the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups. They exchanged what they had for what they needed. In ancient times, the Tea-Horse Trade was a major form of the business between the Central Plains and other northwestern areas with ethnic minority concentrations. As a matter of record, it was a makeshift economic measure that the central government imposed in western areas inhabited by nomads who did not qualify for taxation. As a result of the Tea-Horse Trade, exchange and friendship between the ethnic groups lasted into the Qing Dynasty.
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Tea and Horse Caravan Road Travel Guide
The Tea and Horse Caravan Road of Southwest China, aka the " Silk Road of Southwest China" – but called Chamagudao in Chinese (cha-ma-gu-dao = Tea-Horse-Ancient-Road) – is an old trade route that stretched east to west and south to north across southwest China, including present-day Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region), and down into Nepal and India (see the stylized map below). This set of ancient trade routes eventually came to be renowned for the two main commodities for which the routes were named: tea and horses, though there were other important commodities such as sugar and salt – but curiously, not silk – that were traded along these routes. Note also that, unlike the western part of the Silk Road, where caravans of Bactrian camels transported silk and other exotic goods westward, the beast of burden for the trek over the mountains of southwestern China, which could be freezing cold and snowy in winter, was the pack horse.*(1, 2) And of course, the horses that were brought back to China from Tibet could serve as pack horses on the trek back to the Chinese hinterland. The absence of trade in silk notwithstanding, the comparison to the famous Silk Road is naturally quite valid here in the sense that the overland trade routes of Southwest China were a major factor in the economic as well as the cultural development of the region, in much the same way that the Silk Road was an engine for economic and cultural change in the lands it traversed (for example, Buddhism would not have spread to China as early as it did – and thus further to Korea (during the Goryeo (CE 918-1392) Dynasty period), and from Korea on to Japan, though Buddhism first got a serious foothold in Japan after the Chinese Buddhism tracts were translated into Japanese – had it not been for the Silk Road). The main driver of the trade along the Tea and Horse Caravan Road was, on the one hand, China's desire to import horses from Tibet, and, on the other hand, Tibet's desire to import tea from China: Pu'er tea from the city of Pu'er in present-day Yunnan Province, situated about 100 kilometers north-northeast of Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve; and Yacha tea from the city of Ya'an, located about 1300 kilometers farther north and east in Sichuan Province, or situated about 100 kilometers southwest of the province's captial, Chengdu . Roughly speaking, these trade routes describe a horizontally-oriented (lying sidewise) "Y", where the two forks of the sidewise "Y" point roughly eastward while the trunk of the sidewise "Y" points roughly westward (the city of Pu'er represents the terminus of the southern fork of the "Y" while the city of Ya'an represents the terminus of the northern fork of the "Y"), as the map at the up right corner.
Tea Horse Trading Route
The “Silk Road” was the route linking the ancient Chinese Empire to the West. Simultaneously, another great trading route flowed through the deep jungles of the eastern Tibet of Kham and Amdo, and the high passes of central Tibet via Lhasa, Shigartse, Gyantse, Nylamu to Nepal, India, Sikkim, Bhutan, as well as West Asia and the Red Sea. This is the route that is known as the “Tea Horse Trading Route,” and is also referred to as “the Southern Silk Road.” Tea horse trade route The Tibetan Plateau has an average altitude of 4,000 meters. The staple foods of Tibetan are mainly Tsampa, Yourghur, butter, beef and mutton. Vegetables are rarely available, because the Tibetan plateau is not suitable for growing vegetables since ancient time. Tea is not only able to break down fats, but also prevent hot flushes. Since Tea was introduced to Tibet during the Tang Dynasty (618A.D.-907A.D.), Tibetans have enjoyed “tea” as an indispensable part of their life. Tea does not grow in high altitude area, but in low altitude areas, such as Yunnan, Sichuan Province. During the Song Dynasty (960A.D-1279A.D), the Chinese government decided to develop the Tea-horse Trade in the northwestern region of China to build enough warhorses for the Chinese Cavalry. Each year around 5,000 tons of tea was sold to Tibet. It was even exported to Nepal, India, and as far as West Asia. More than 15,000 horses were transported into the hinterland of China. All the goods were transferred via the Amdo to Tibet road traditionally. By making this important military road a Tea-Horse Trade route, the exchange of tea and fabric for horses stimulated tea planting and expedited the development of the Tea-Horse Trade. During the Ming dynasty (1368A.D-1644A.D), the Tea-horse Trade Route via Kham officially formed, even though this trading route had existed since the early time of Song dynasty. Kangding, which is also named Dartsedo was the main site for Tea-horse Trading in Kham. Generally, the Tea-Horse Trade Route included 2 major branches, which ran separately through Amdo and Kham to connect the hinterland of China and Tibet together. Since the Ming dynasty, the route via Kham became the main flowing area. The major routes include: Route 1: Depart the Tea-planting area of Ya’an (near Chengdu) to Kangding, via southern route leading to Lhasa and then onward to Nepal, India… Route 2: Depart from Middle part of Yunnan via Lijiang, Zhongdian, Deqin onto the Tibetan plateau to Lhasa, along the Himalayan range into India continental. Tea-Horse Trade Route formed in AD 6th century, and ended at the end of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). However, it was used again during World War II when China was invaded by Japanese troops. This ancient Tea-Horse trading Route became the only one route that horse caravans were on this route to transport military goods from India to mainland China to support the Anti-Japanese War until it ended in victory. Important Events: Human and animal trails were naturally formed at the Tea Horse trading route; Yunnan to Tibet horse Trading route formed in the late sixth century A.D. Tang dynasty (618A.D. – 907A.D.), Tea-horse Trading largely developed in the Amdo to Tibet route; In the seventh century, the Tibetan Empire established, the army of Tibetan Empire traveled south to build bridges on Jinsha River to connect Yunnan and Tibet; During the Song Dynasty (960A.D-1279A.D), the major Tea-horse trading route was moved to the southwestern region of China in Sichuan and Yunnan which were the two main provinces to develop Tea-horse trading; In the Yuan dynasty (1206A.D-1368A.D), Tea-horse Trading Route was well developed; During the Ming dynasty (1368A.D-1644A.D), Kangding (Dartsedo) became a major site for tea-horse trading; During World War II, this route became an international business trading channel, as well as a strategic route in the southwest of China;
Ancient Tea Horse Road
Ancient Tea Horse Road, called Chama Gudao in Chinese, is a network of mule caravan paths winding through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Tibet in Southwest China. It is also a nonsuch of traveling route on this planet, with the most spectacular scenery, the most mysterious culture and countless cultural heritage sites. Let’s trace this China’s ancient Tea-horse route to discover its unique charm. History of Ancient Tea Horse Road Ancient Tea Horse originated from tea-horse trade, which was traditional “tea for horse” or “horse for tea” between the Hans and Tibetans. With the opening of tea-horse trade, the route was referred to as “Tea Horse Road”. The tea-horse trade on this road began from Tang Dynasty, developed at Song Dynasty, flourished at Ming Dynasty, and declined at Qing Dynasty. Almost every stage of the rise of the Tibetan tea culture cannot be separated from the horse trading, the tea-horse trade is also based on the propagation of the tea culture in Tibetan area. At the same time, Tibetan Buddhism, ethnic culture and customs had spread widely through this route. Routes of Ancient Tea Horse Road Generally speaking, China’s ancient Tea-horse route is mainly divided into three roads. They are Sichun-Tibet Tea Horse Road, Yunnan-Tibet Tea Horse Road and Tang-Tibet Tea Hose Road. All three ancient tea route was bound up with Qamdo, a region located in eastern Tibet. 1.Sichuan-Tibet Tea Horse Road Among three routes of ancient Tea Horse Road, Sichuan-Tibet Tea Horse Road is the most famous route which have the greatest impact on the history of China. 2.Yunnan-Tibet Tea Horse Road Yunnan-Tibet Tea Horse Road stared from Simao and Puer (two main tea producing areas), crossing Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La to Tibet Lhasa. The tea of Puer Yunnan is mostly used among tea-horse trade of Yunnan-Tibet route. 3.Tang-Tibet Tea Horse Road Tang-Tibet Tea Horse Road Arose in Tang Dynasty, connecting central China to Qinghai, Tibet, even to Nepal and India. Among three China’s ancient Tea-horse routes, it is the one which developed much earlier. Explore Undiscovered Ancient Tea Horse Road China’s ancient Tea-horse route enjoys primary form of west China culture and colorful ethnic culture. Because it is too dangerous and high to walk over, it is off the beaten path. But a vision of paradise is really worth to see if you love adventure. Highlights of Ancient Tea Horse Road 1.Unique Tea-horse Culture Tea-horse culture came into being along with Ancient Tea Horse Road. Tea-horse trade witness the history of economic and cultural exchanges between the Hans and Tibetans. This culture is traditional and unique in China and makes great impact on ancient China. 2.Colorful Ethnic Culture There are various ethnic minorities along China’s ancient Tea-horse route, such as Tibetan, Bai, Naxi, Yi, Hui and some other minorities. Different ethnic minorities have their own cultures and customs. Exploring colorful ethnic culture add more colors to Tea Horse travel. 3.Varied and Spectacular Views As ancient tea route crossing through many tourist places in Southwest China, you may enjoy different landscapes along the route, including natural scenery and cultural sites. In every place, you will feel something amazing and fascinated. Well-known Tourist Cities along Ancient Tea Horse Road There are several must-visit tourist destinations along ancient tea route, especially in Yunnan and Tibet. Each destination has its own charm. 1.Lijiang Lijiang boasts of famous Lijiang Old Town, beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, unique Naxi and Mosuo culture. Lijiang is a ideal place to escape hustle and bustle of modern city and enjoy a leisurely life. 2.Dali Dali is a poetic and dreamlike place. You may lose yourself in an exquisite scenery of Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain, or appreciate graceful dance performed by Bai ethnic girls. 3.Shangri-La Whether you like natural beauty or cultural tradition, you may get what you want in Shangri-La, a wondrous land. The idyllic pastoral scene, snow mountains and gorges, thousand-year-old Dukezong Ancient Town, Buddhist Monasteries, ethnic customs…all these are the reason you come here. 4.Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna is noted for splendid tropical rain forest and unique ethnic customs. Water-splashing Festival occurs in April every year, which attracts a large number of domestic and foreign visitors. 5.Lhasa Lhasa is such a holy and mysterious places that you must visit it if traveling to China. Snow-covered plateau scene, strong religious feature and Tibetan-style architectures make Lhasa famous all over the world. Potala Palace is a must in Lhasa tour. 6.Nyingchi Nyingchi is known as “Switzerland of the Orient” and “Jiangnan in Tibet”. It is the lowest place in Tibet with beautiful rural scenery, which makes you feel as if you are in Jiangnan area (regions south of the Yangtze River). The combination of magnificent plateau landscape and idyllic scenery give Nyingchi miraculous charm. Best Time to Visit Ancient Tea Horse Road The best time to visit ancient Tea Horse road is spring and autumn, with relatively nice weather and comfortable temperature. You’d better avoid hot summer with much rain and chilly winter.
Knowledge Graph
Examples
1 The Tea-Horse Trade Route between the hinterland and Tibet evolved from the Tang-Tubo Silk Road.
2 The Tea-Horse Trade Route had already been opened during the Tang Dynasty, and tea finally became to rival silk as a trading commodity, with a flow of horses primarily going in the reverse direction.
3 It can be concluded that tea-horse trade and the Tea-Horse Trade Route originated from the Tang-Tubo silk trade.