The ancient Tea Horse Road

Trade routes are a fascinating subject. They show the strength and appeal of some goods. When taking a closer look at them you also see that it is not only about commerce; but also about ideas, religions, customs, languages, etc. travelling next to commercial goods. The Silk Road is probably the most famous of all trade routes. But silk isn’t the only famous product out of China and the Silk Road isn’t the only trade route China’s ever had.

According to Mu Jihong (木霁弘), there were three big trade routes that originated from ancient China: the Silk Road, the Maritime Road (also called by some the Ceramics Road) and the Tea Horse Road (茶马古道). Mu Jihong, a professor at Yunnan University, is the one who rediscovered this last trade route and coined the expression “Old Tea Horse Road”.

Sometimes also called the Silk Road of the Southwest, the Tea Horse Road stretches through the territories of Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai and Tibet. It is by far the highest and most sinuous of the three trade routes. The commercial exchange along the route dates to the Tang Dynasty (618–907), although some of the trails are probably older. The exchange of goods went both ways. Tea was carried from its birthplace, in the mountainous regions of Yunnan and Sichuan, up to Tibet; on the way down fine horses from Tibet were led into the Chinese plains. The distance was covered by mule caravans, with the help of yaks on some stretches. It could take more than four months until destination. During the wet season the trail was impracticable.

Early on tea became a desired good in Tibet. It became the necessary compliment to the frugal local diet. The horses were needed by the Chinese armies to defend the borders against nomadic tribes.

The trade route channelled the economic enterprise of the many ethnic groups living along it and led to commercial as well as cultural exchanges. According to Mu Jihong, himself a Naxi (纳西), the Tea Horse Road crosses the territory of more than twenty ethnic groups. This leads Mu to say that the Tea Horse Road was not only a trade route, but also a medium for cultural exchange and blending.

The thriving business of the road led the authorities to try to control it and take advantage from the profits it generated. Official trading posts called Tea and Horse offices (茶马司) and relay stations were established. During the Northern Songs (960-1127) for example, it was decreed that the famous tea from Mount Mengding (蒙顶山) in Sichuan could only be used for the purchase of horses that the court direly needed to protect the northern borders of the empire. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the road also became the official way for the Tibetan envoys to offer tributes to the court.

The itinerary of the road has evolved and changed with times and there never was only one itinerary. There were three main circuits: the Qinghai-Tibet circuit, the Yunnan-Tibet circuit and the Sichuan-Tibet circuit. Nowadays of course mule and yak caravans have become obsolete. The last time the road was in use for a commercial purpose was during the Second World War as a mean of bringing goods into China all the way from India. Some portions of the road are still used by pilgrims and the “Old Tea Horse Road” is more and more becoming a touristic destination. The Qinghai-Tibet railway that was inaugurated in 2006 can be seen in some ways as its modern successor.

Chinese sources: 茶马古道的文化特征; 揭开茶马古道神秘的面纱; 茶马古道

English source: The “Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road”, the Silk Road” of Southwest China