The role and significance of the ancient tea-horse road in history

The ancient tea-horse road originated from the ancient "tea-horse mutual market", which can be said to have the "mutual market" first and then the "ancient road". "Tea-horse exchange" is a traditional trade exchange between Han and Tibetan nationalities in the history of western China. In the Song Dynasty, Tea and Horse Department, a government agency specializing in the management of tea-horse trade, was established in famous mountains in Sichuan. Tea-horse trade prospered the economy and culture of the ancient western regions, and also created the ancient tea-horse road.

The ancient tea-horse road is an ancient trade route, connecting Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet, and extending to Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India until the red coast of West Asia and West Africa. The trade between Han and Tibetan nationalities in the "tea-horse exchange" has a history of nearly 2000 years since the Tang Dynasty.

Generally speaking, there are two ancient tea-horse roads, one is from Pu 'er in Yunnan via Dali, Zhongdian and Deqin to Tibet, and the other is from Tangtang and Batang in Chengdu to Tibet. Ordinary tourists and visitors, eyes gathered here. In fact, there is another line, the Nujiang Grand Canyon. The most beautiful, steepest and undulating highway in the world is the new favorite of "donkey friends" in Yunnan-Tibet exploration.

Some people say that after seeing the Nujiang Grand Canyon and the rich national cultural landscape along the way, other adventure trips will be dull.

Article 3 The Nujiang Grand Canyon, the ancient tea-horse road, enters Tibet from Dali, Liuku, Fugong, Luo Zhong and Wuli. The traffic here is inconvenient, inaccessible, with few tourists and simple folk customs. Especially in the drizzle, a person walks on the edge of Nujiang Grand Canyon, full of green mountains and gurgling Nujiang River. Occasionally, you can see a real "raw donkey" abroad.

The ancient tea-horse road is the longest ancient trade route in the world. The total trip is above Wan Li. Since ancient times, few people have been able to complete this journey. Every stop along the way can be used as a destination or a starting point. At that time, the largest trade transit point was about to belong to Kangding, Sichuan.

Kangding was once called "Archery Furnace". When the caravan from the west arrives in Kangding, it is necessary to change the means of transport, or change tea and horses on the spot. 1696, Emperor Kangxi approved Kangding's request for a tea-horse exchange, making Kangding a major commercial center between the mainland and Tibet. Domestic silk, tea and other commodities are transported to the west through Kangding, and goods from South Asia, Europe and America are also sold to the mainland of China from here.

Old traffic routes. Tea-horse trade is a trade activity based on "tea" in the Central Plains and "horses" in border minority areas. As an important way of economic exchange between the Han nationality areas in the mainland and the border minority areas, it has played a great role in communicating the economic and cultural ties of people of all ethnic groups. Wei Xiaoan, director of the National Tourism Administration, once made a special discussion on the tourism development of the "Tea-Horse Ancient Road", pointing out that the "Tea-Horse Ancient Road" was a post road formed by the tea-horse trade between northwest Yunnan and southeast Tibet in history. On this ancient road, the best natural landscape and human landscape in China are concentrated, which can become a world-class tourism boutique after moderate development. The tourism development of the ancient tea-horse road has also been written into the national tenth five-year plan as one of the contents of the regional linkage development strategy.

From the remote and open Tang Dynasty to the completion of Yunnan-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet highways in the 1950s and 1960s of 19, there was a little-known highway that started from the tea-producing areas in Yunnan and Sichuan on the east side of Hengduan Mountains in southwest China, crossed the Hengduan Mountains, extended westward, crossed major rivers such as Jinsha River, Lancangjiang River, Nujiang River and Yalong River, and covered China like a spider's web. With the rise and spread of tea culture and Tibetan Buddhism, and the development of tea-horse trade, this road has become a veritable ancient tea-horse road.

/kloc-For more than 0/000 years, the ancient tea-horse road transported tea from Yunnan and Sichuan to Tibetan areas, and also transported mountain products specialties in snowy areas to the mainland. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it became the only external traffic road in China. At the same time of folk traffic, this remote and extremely dangerous road has become a corridor for the spread and exchange of religious culture and more than 20 ethnic minority cultures along the way. It is not only an economic and cultural link connecting Han, Tibetan and other nationalities, but also a symbol of extraordinary courage and extraordinary efforts made by human beings for survival.

Its historical value lies in: 1. Changdu area is rich in natural and cultural tourism resources, such as three parallel rivers, high mountains and canyons, sacred mountains and holy waters, geothermal hot springs, pastures full of wild flowers, tents that smoke from cooking, ancient religious ceremonies, Tibetan Buddhist temples in Tallinn, ancient cliff stone carvings, antique giant murals, colorful local customs and so on.

2. The ancient tea-horse road is an important clue for natural and cultural tourism in Changdu area. Most natural wonders, human cultural heritage, traces of ancient ethnic customs and countless touching stories are scattered on the ancient tea-horse road. It is the accumulation of history and contains traces of people's activities and persistent yearning for thousands of years.

3. The ancient tea-horse road runs through the ethnic corridors between Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, Qinghai and Tibet. It is a place where many ethnic groups live and live, and it is also a big stage for many ethnic groups to interpret historical tragicomedy. There are inexhaustible cultural treasures that deserve people's remembrance and appreciation.

4. The ancient tea-horse road tourism is a journey of returning to nature, a journey of harmony between man and nature, a journey of urbanites' spirit and a journey of exploration and discovery.

5. The tourism development of the ancient tea-horse road is all-round. First of all, we should do a good job in infrastructure construction, such as transportation facilities, hotels and restaurants, to meet the needs of accommodation, electricity, water and safety, and at the same time vigorously develop tourism products, promote the development of various undertakings in Qamdo and revitalize the local economy.

In the eyes of experts and scholars, the ancient tea-horse road is an ancient trade channel between Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. Through caravan transportation, tea from Sichuan and Yunnan can be traded with horses and medicinal materials in Tibet. It is the fifth largest foreign exchange channel in the history of China, which has important historical value and status.

However, in the eyes of experts, this ancient tea-horse road, which is as important as the Silk Road, has been silent for many years. With the development of modern transportation, the ancient tea-horse road has long been replaced by national highways 2 14, 3 17 and 3 18.

"When the Silk Road attracted the attention of the world, scholars and experts rushed to study it, which triggered a tourism boom; When the Silk Road was famous all over the world, the ancient tea-horse road was left out in the cold, silently in the deep mountains and forests. " Mu, an expert specializing in the ancient tea-horse road, said that the silence of the ancient tea-horse road is inevitable for historical development, but its remoteness and danger are also important reasons for its decline. Although it has been silent for many years, it is not without reason that the ancient tea-horse road is "hot" today.

"The ancient tea-horse road is a rich historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation and is very attractive to tourists." Mu Jihong said, "Not to mention the historical and cultural charm of the ancient road itself, the geography, scenery, folk customs and cultural differences of villages along the way can attract many people."

"With tea culture as the main feature, the ancient tea-horse road has become a cultural landscape." Peking University scholar Chen Baoya told reporters that the ancient tea-horse road is not only a major traffic artery, but also a carrier of history and culture. For example, caravan culture, Tibetan tea culture, commercial culture and national culture that can blend with each other because of the ancient tea-horse road ... "Now it seems that the ancient tea-horse road itself is a kind of culture."