TIBETAN TREKKING TRAVEL CO. LTD. :: Tea-Horse Trade Route

Tea-Horse Trade Route

"Silk Road" was the route that linking the ancient Chinese Empire to the West; Almost in the same period, another great trading route through the deep jungles of the eastern Tibet of Kham and Amdo, and the high passes of the central Tibet meandered via Lhasa, Shigartse, Gyantse, Nylamu to Nepal, India, Sikkim, Bhutan, as well as West Asia and the Red Sea. This route is called " Tea-Horse Trade Route". It means the "route" that for trading horse and tea between hinterland of china and Tibet, and as far as to India and west Asia.

Tibetan plateau is with average altitude of 4000m, the stable foods of Tibetan are mainly: Tsampa, Yourghur, Butter, Beef and mutton. Vegetable was barely supplied, because Tibetan plateau was not suitable for planting vegetable in ancient time. Tea is not only able to break down fats, but also to prevent hot flashes. Therefore Tibetan enjoys "Tea" as indispensable goods of their life after Tea was introduced to Tibet in Tang Dynasty (618A.D-907A.D). Tea does not grow in high altitude area, but in low altitude areas, such as: Yunnan, Sichuan Province.

In Song Dynasty (960A.D-1279A.D), in order to achieving warhorses to build cavalry, Chinese government decided to develop Tea-horse Trade in the northwest of China, each year there were around 5,000 tons of tea were sold to Tibet, and even being transported to Nepal, India…as far as West Asia; more than 15,000 horses were transported into hinterland of China. All those goods are transferred via Amdo-Tibet road traditionally, and making this important military road to become a Tea-Horse Trade route; the exchange of tea and fabric for horse stimulated tea planting and expedited the development of Tea-Horse Trade.

In Ming dynasty (1368A.D-1644A.D), the Tea-horse Trade Route via Kham officially formed, even this trading route had been existed since the early time of Song dynasty. Kangding, which also name Dartsedo was the main site for Tea-horse Trading in Kham;

Generally, Tea-Horse Trade Route includes 2 major branches, which were separately through Amdo and Kham to connect hinterland of China and Tibet together. Since Ming dynasty the route via Kham became the main flow.

Among of those:

Major routes :

Route 1: Departure the Tea-planting area of Ya'an (near Chengdu) to Kahngding, vis southern route leading to Lhasa and then onward to Nepal, India..;

Route 2: Departure from Middle part of Yunnan via Lijiang, Zhongdian, Deqin onto Tibetan plateau to Lhasa, along Himalaya range into India continental.

Tea-Horse Trade Route formed in AD 6th century, ends in the end of Qing dynasty (1644-1911), however, it was in use again during the II World War when China was invaded by Japanese troops, This ancient Tea-Horse trading Route became the only one route that the horse caravans were on this route again to transport the military goods from India to mainland of China to supporting the Anti-Japanese War until the victory eventually arrived;

Important Events:

	Human and animal trails were naturally formed;
	Yunnan - Tibet horse Trading route formed in The late sixth century AD
	Tang dynasty (618A.D-907A.D), Tea-horse Trading largely developed via Amdo- Tibet route;
	In the seventh century, Tibetan Empire established, the army of Tibetan Empire southward to build bridges on Jinsha rive to connect Yunnan and Tibet together;
	Song Dynasty (960A.D-1279A.D), the major Tea-horse trading route was moved to the southwest of China, Sichuan and Yunnan were the two main provinces to develop Tea-horse trading;
	Yuan dynasty (1206A.D-1368A.D), Tea-horse Trading Route were well developed during this period;
	Ming dynasty (1368A.D-1644A.D), Kangding (Dartsedo) became the major site for tra-horse trading
	During the II World War, this route became the international business trading channel, as well as the Strategically route in the southwest of China;