ancient horse road in Puer

The Tea and Horse 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. This 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. Our own Tea Horse Road adventure began in the township of Pu'er, approximately 400 kilometers south of Kunming. The excursion passed through some of the mountains and steep valleys that are signatures of the Yunnan landscape. Eventually, the corn and wheat along the roadside gave way to bananas, rubber and, eventually, tea.

Post by Jimmysandwiches | Jun 30, 2022