Here came a tibetan saying, rather be without food for three days than to be without tea for a day. Our focus is on health and wellness and the restorative properties contained in tea, herbal infusions and wild craft foods like wild rice, north americas original superfood. In addition to the story of the tea, the tea horse road is the story of the men muleteers and their mules that traveled long and perilous journeys from yunnan and sichuan over dangerous roads in hostile weather conditions with their precious cargoes of tea bound for tibet, nepal, and later, india and burma. It seems fitting that a route that was imbued with both tea and mountains, the ancient tea horse road, would become a fixation in my life. While today tea horse road is no more, we believe that its spirit of connecting people to the worlds greatest teas is alive, expanding, and present in each bottle of our amazing tea. Selena ahmed, ethnobotanist and author of the gorgeous new book tea horse road will be at the garden for a book signing this saturday, may 21 at 3 p. Traversing the ancient tea horse road with jeff fuchs wildchina. With increasing contact of the tobo and tang regimes, drinking tea became a fashionable habit to the tibetan religious elites and autocrats, and gradually an essential part of their diet. Chinas ancient trade road to tibet is its size in the era of ipads, kindles and other ultraslim digital readers, it has become easy to forget that publishers are still printing big, beautiful hardcover books. The ancient tea and horse caravan road, the silk road. Historically, the ancient tea horse road was almost the same as the western frontier of china. Hotel lux tea horse road lijiang lijiang yunnan 4 china. Yunnan tea has been of vital economic importance to many nationalities since the tea horse road, to even today. With mountain views, tiger leaping gorge tea horse gasthaus is located in shangrila and has a restaurant and room service.
Tea horse guesthouse, shangrila county, china tripadvisor. This was much more than a simple trade route, because in return for tea, which tibetans came quickly to crave, the tang dynasty wanted horses for the imperial army. Both wifi and private parking are available at the family stay free of charge. Travels with the last of the himalayan muleteers first edition by fuchs, jeff isbn. The ancient tea horse road winds its way through some of the most unforgiving terrain on earth. He gained prominence with his successful bid to become the first westerner to trek the entire yunnantibet ancient tea horse road, stretching almost six thousand kilometers through the himalayas and a dozen cultures, documented in the book the ancient tea horse road. Along the tea and horse road colorful china travel. Chinas ancient tea horse road cognoscenti books book 1.
Tea horse was founded by denise atkinson and marc h. This is the first comprehensive visual documentation of the tea horse road that takes the audience on a journey from the birthplace of the tea plant along the oldest trade route of tea in the world. The 2250 kilometer long trail begins with the sichuan province of china and stretches to lhasa, the capital city of tibet. Shortly after the japanese invasion was edging up and overtaking many portions of the tea horse road a woman by the name of olga greenlaw, the wife of the second in command of the flying tigers wrote a book titled the lady and the tigers. The ancient tea horse trade route also known as the southern silk road is a sprawling web of millenniaold paths connecting southeast asia. Jeff fuchs is the first documented westerner to travel both the ancient tea horse road and the tsalam nomadic route of salt and documenting them for the first time to western audiences. Author jeff fuchs brings life to this gripping tale of a small group of men who decide to retrace the ancient tea horse road, the road that brought tea to beijing and to tibet, and brought horses to china. We recommend booking the ancient tea horse road museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Travels with the last of the himalayan muleteers 2008.
Exploring the history behind chinas ancient tea horse road. In the spirit and essence of the old caravanserais that served the leaders of the packtrains carrying tea from the burmese border to the high plateau of tibet, lux tea horse road is a series of properties located in some of the worlds most majestic settings. As we ply on our individual tea horse roads trading our time and effort for a living, a well made hot cup of tea is a solace a journey to our own shangrila. Life along the tea horse road is briefly reignited in a passionate and unforgettable adventure. Though the tea horse road is not nearly as important as the silk road of china, it holds significance nonetheless. Jeff fuchs is a canadian explorer, mountaineer and writer. Chinas ancient trade road to tibet 2011, a sumptuous book that you coauthored with selena ahmed alongside your breathtaking photographs. Chinas ancient tea horse road by andrew forbes, david. The tea horse road is an old trade route, which connected south of the yunnan province to the tibetan highlands. Oct 23, 2014 tea horse road, china with jeff fuchs dolores semeraro. Kindle store go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals. Mar 20, 2018 the ancient tea horse road was a network of caravan paths winding through the mountains of southwest china. There are numerous surviving archaeological and monumental elements, including trails, bridges, w.
The book should thus be attractive to a wide audience, not just tea enthusiasts, geographers, or naturalists. Chinas ancient tea horse road andrew forbes, david. One of the longest and most dramatic trade routes of the ancient worl. The ancient tea horse trade route also known as the southern silk road is a sprawling web of millenniaold paths connecting southeast asia to southwest china and tibet. It was used as a commercial passage for transporting tea, salt and other commodities. It is also one of the oldest and highest trade routes. In my ensuing book a ncient tea horse roadtravels with the last himalayan muleteers penguin canada the route, its understated crucial role in the himalayan history, and the adventure that our expedition tea happily engaged in is documented. The tea horse road for those with an interest in this ancient caravan history, we recommend the tea horse road. Can you talk about how the project started and when exactly you arrived in yunnan to start shooting.
Exploring the history behind chinas ancient tea horse road which began during the tang dynasty 618907 and still used up to the 1960s, with several different routes originating in the town of puerh, in chinas yunnan province to tibet and other points. Apr 06, 2017 many a traveler and backpacker heads to this town and learns about the tea horse road. Ancient sichuantibet tea horse road lainchung nangsa. Many a traveler and backpacker heads to this town and learns about the tea horse road. Anhua tea horse road anhua county 2020 all you need to. One of the longest and most dramatic trade routes of the ancient world, the tea horse road carried a crucial exchange for centuries between china and tibet. Jan 01, 2008 the ancient tea horse road winds its way through some of the most unforgiving terrain on earth. China needed war horses to protect its northern frontier, and tibet could supply them. It is also sometimes referred to as the southern silk road or southwest silk road, and it is part of a complex routes system connecting china and south asia. Chinese tea and tibetan horses were long traded on the legendary tea horse road, a harsh 2,250km trail stretching from chinas sichuan province to tibets capital city of lhasa. A mountaineer, resident of shangrila in northwestern yunnan, and selfconfessed teaaddict fuchs brings together an ancient trade route in stunning and often neurotic detail as he travels into isolated worlds tucked away from the modern world. Aug 17, 2018 the ancient tea horse road in china was a trade route mainly through yunnan, sichuan, and tibet. Chinas ancient trade road to tibet by michael freeman, 9786167339535, available at book depository with free delivery. A car rental service is available at the accommodation, while hiking can be.
To read more, go to reading adventures book 1, page 39. The ancient teahorse road locally known as chamagudao is a network of meandering caravan paths through the mountains of yunnan, guizhou and sichuan in southwest china. Right up until the tibetan highway was built, tea, salt and sugar were transported along this important trade route and tibetan horses were brought to china in the opposite direction. An epic journey of tea, mountains, and memories, that opens up a rarely acknowledged part of china and asias ancient past, the ancient tea horse road is a grinding adventure of will, wit, and tea thirsts. The addition of the word gu or ancient, making the currently popular name chama gudao or ancient teahorse road is a much more recent designation. Zhang yun the buddhist, seeing what was going on and seeing, regardless of his good intentions, it wasnt going to work, left the main contingent taking me with him high into the mountains basically retracing the steps of the ancient chamadao, the tea horse trail or tea horse road. The ancient tea horse road museum lijiang 2020 all you. The long and winding road was a trade route from yunnan, to bengal and india via burma, to tibet, and to central china via sichuan province. The high mountain peaks, lush valleys and deep gorges of yunnan are a haven of natural and cultural diversity, connected by this. Traders of the golden triangle a study of the traditional yunnanese mule caravan trade. When the tibetans discovered tea in the 7th century, it became a staple of their diet, but its origins are in southwest china, and they had to trade. The tea horse road or chamadao, now generally referred to as the ancient tea horse road or chamagudao was a network of caravan paths winding through the mountains of sichuan, yunnan and tibet in southwest china.
Interview for the tea horse road project chinabased translator, poet and scholar peter micic has begun a blog on the tea horse road, interview for the tea horse road project. Ancient sichuantibet tea horse road search results iucat. The center of lijiang is a 10minute walk from the property. Chinas ancient trade road to tibet reprint by michael freeman, selina ahmed isbn. The network once ferried horses and silver from tibet to china in exchange for tea, but people also traded salt for tea, ivory for gold, and religious instruction for food and. Just as the silk road, the ancient tea horse road disappeared with the dawn of modern civilization, but both routes have played very important roles in the development of china. From the 6th century to the 20th century, people in sichuan and yunnan provinces traveled by foot and horseback with pack horses to exchange tea for horses with people in tibet and thus the pathway was called the tea horse road. Once the highway started handling the trade, it would not be long before the tea horse road was forgotten. Again by contrast, the name teahorse road in chinese chamadao was in official use from at least the time of the tang dynasty 618907.
Traversing the ancient tea horse road with jeff fuchs. On this epic journey with jeff fuchs, we retrace part of the ancient tea and horse caravan road through diverse landscapes and cultures. The first thing one notices about the new book tea horse road. Buy a discounted paperback of tea horse road online from australias leading online bookstore. The ancient tea and horse caravan road, the silk road of. One reason is the ethnic and cultural diversity of the region. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Jun 30, 2008 read this book, please, but save yourself some money. Sep 15, 2016 historical pictures of tea horse road.
Travel the yunnan province along the old tea and horse road, an ancient trail network in yunnan for trade between the tea growing areas in the southern yunnan province and tibet. The route earned the name tea horse road because of the common trade of tibetan ponies for chinese tea, a practice dating back at least to the song dynasty, when the sturdy horses were important for china to fight warring nomads in the north. The route came under strict control, as the trading of tea for war horses became an arm of tang foreign policy in its dealing with a neighbour that had. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. In other words, we followed the ancient tea and horse road, which links up with the silk road in tibet.
The tea porters are remembered in this statue park in yaan, china. It would be the 20th century before tea portering would come to an end and a functioning highway replace the men and mules. Lux tea horse road lijiang is within a 30minute drive to lijiang airport. Guests can visit the ancient tea horse road museum situated within 20 minutes drive from the hotel. Tea horse road, chinas ancient trade road to tibet by michael. A car rental service is available at the accommodation, while hiking can be enjoyed nearby. Expect personalized adventurous excursions inspired by the lux tea horse road original trail, experience original naxi cooking classes directly from baisha villagers, learn about the legendary puer tea with inhouse tea ceremonies, find your message in a bottle around the narrow lanes of the old town, dare the challenging surroundings on a. Lijiang hotels, lijiang hotel lux tea horse road lijiang. Dakpa, an old tibetan friend, and i had arrived in this thick, humid, green zone to seek out the origins of not only the tea horse road but also the origins of tea itself. We traveled with wildchina from jinghong to shangrila. Puer tea qinghai sichuan sikkim sikkimese silk road silkworms southern yunnan tang dynasty tea bricks tea caravans tea estates tea horse road tea horse trade tea mountains tea porters tibet tibetan autonomous region tibetan plateau today tourist traffic.
Camellia sinensis assamica, known unofficially as the. Tea horse road jeff fuchs tea and mountain journals. Passing through yunnan, sichuan, tibet, nepal, and india, the tea horse roads grand expanse is revealed in stunning detail through fuchs narrative. For me, what sets this book apart from other books i have read on the topic of the tea horse road is the authors use of the present to help understand the past.
Interview for the tea horse road project michael freeman. Book tea horse guesthouse, shangrila county on tripadvisor. In the 21st century, the legacy of the tea horse road has been used to promote a railway that will. The road stretched across more than 4,000 kilometers mainly in southwest chinas sichuan and yunnan provinces and the tibetan autonomous region. Jeff fuchs is the first documented westerner to travel both the ancient tea horse road and the tsalam nomadic route of salt and documenting them for the first time to western audiences you must learn to look at the world twice if you wish to see all there is to see jamake highwater. The book places the historical teahorse road in a contemporary context through a discussion on current issues including biodiversity, livelihoods, organic farming, globalization, health, and antioxidants. Travel along the yunnan part of the tea and horse road as it winds down from the tibetan plateau towards the old town of dali. First, it was well organized, and our guide, jeff fuchs, was incredibly knowledgeable and funny.
See all 1 the ancient tea horse road museum tours on tripadvisor. Across undulating hill chains and meandering rivers of the mountain range, women of bulang ethnic group were picking puer tea leaves, a distinct form of broad leaf tea in yunnan, in a verdant. As the title of this book suggests the topic is about an extensive network of physical pathways and small local routes that came to be collectively known as the tea. The book was compiled by li xu, an anthropologist and photographer who works with the yunnan academy of social sciences and has written numerous books documenting vanishing cultures in china, including a series of books on the tea horse road and a book on the lives of tibetan tea muleteers. The tea and horse road budget tour colorful china travel.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The antique silk road that connected the chinese and mediterranean worlds for more than a millennium, facilitating the exchange of both goods and cultures, is widely known and celebrated. Tea horse road, china with jeff fuchs dolores semeraro. Over seven gruelling months, canadian jeff fuchs took on the challenge of following traditional muleteers along this twelvehundredyearold route. The ancient tea and horse road first appeared during the tang dynasty 618907, and. In 20067 five tibetans and myself would complete a 7. Chinas ancient trade road to tibet freeman, michael, ahmed, selena on.
Since the heydays of tang dynasty 618907 ad, time often elapsed with throngs of horse caravans wading through the endlessly steep road. Tea horse routes from puer, yunan and yaan, sichuan to lhasa, tibet. Our first chinese guide, michael, was also superorganized. Chinas ancient trade route to tibet, a beautiful book with stunning photographs by michael freeman, whose photos above were taken along this route. During the time greenlaw was writing the book and was being published 194243 the war was still raging. The history of the tea horse road, chinas ancient trade route. Ancienttea horse road page introduces the history, origin and the two routes of the ancient tea horse road, as well as development and tourism of ancient tea horse road, etc. While modernization undermined this historic routes commercial significance, the tea and horse caravan road is now attracting attention due to the growth of tourism in southwest china. Chinese ancinet teahorse road, discover the ancient tea.