by Luo Nai Xin - Yunnan Xiaguan Tuocha (Group) Co., Ltd.
translated from "Proceedings of the First International Pu’er Tea Symposium in Yunnan Province"
II. The Origins of the Tea-Horse Road: The Tea-Horse Trade
The Tea-Horse Trade between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet marked the inception of this route, which further developed during the Song Dynasty and flourished during the Ming Dynasty. For a long period, tea-horse trading constituted the core of economic exchange between Tibet and inland China, serving as a vital link and a driving force for the prosperity of the Tea-Horse Road.
The Bowu Zhi (Records of Broad Knowledge) by Li Shi of the Southern Song Dynasty mentions that “the use of Pu’er tea by the Western Barbarians dates back to the Tang Dynasty.” During the Song Dynasty, the government implemented a policy known as “ruling the frontier with tea.” In 1074 (the 7th year of Emperor Shenzong’s Xining reign), Li Qi was sent to Sichuan to establish the Tea-Horse Office, which was also set up in Beisheng (modern Yongsheng County, Yunnan) to exchange tea for Tibetan horses. During the Yuan Dynasty, a tea-horse market was established in Yongning (modern Ninglang County). According to «Wenye Lu» by Liu Jian of the Qing Dynasty, in March of the 18th year of Shunzhi (1661), tea-horse trading was conducted with Tibetans in Beisheng, and 30,000 dan of tea were transported to Tibet via Dali. In the 4th year of Kangxi (1665), a tea-horse market was also established in Yongping County, Dali.
Terracotta figurine of a muleteer with his horse, collection of the Yunnan Provincial Museum (Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644).
The early Qing Dynasty marked a peak in Pu’er tea’s prominence. As recorded in Tan’s «Dianhai Yuheng Zhi»: "Pu’er tea is renowned throughout the world. Its production sustains the region, with tens of thousands of workers in the mountains making tea. Tea merchants purchase and transport it to various destinations, filling the roads. Truly, it is a vital source of revenue.”
The Tibetan people, primarily residing in the Tibet Autonomous Region, also inhabit parts of Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Gansu. Tibet’s high-altitude terrain, thin air, and cold, dry climate limit the availability of fruits and vegetables, leaving tea as an essential source of vitamins and nutrients to supply their traditional diet of dairy, meat, and tsampa. Thus, tea became indispensable for their survival, with an extraordinarily high demand. As an ancient Tibetan saying goes: “Tea is blood! Tea is flesh! Tea is life!”. However, Tibet does not produce tea. Meanwhile, the demand for horses in inland areas, both for civilian and military use, exceeded supply. Tibet and the border areas of Sichuan and Yunnan, rich in high-quality horses, became the focal points for tea-horse trading. This mutually beneficial trade facilitated the development of the Tea-Horse Road, a commercial route primarily for tea transportation.
In addition to tea, goods like sugar, fabric, thread, and vermicelli from Sichuan and Yunnan were transported by mule caravans into the Tibetan Plateau, crossing the rugged terrain of the Hengduan Mountains. Conversely, horses, furs, Tibetan gold, saffron, musk, fritillaria bulbs, deer antlers, and caterpillar fungus from Tibetan regions and neighboring countries flowed along this route to Sichuan and Yunnan. Yunnan’s border tea became a crucial supply for Tibetan communities in Kham and other areas and earned its name through use.
There was no path on the ground at first; as more people walked, a path was formed.” This famous saying perfectly illustrates how the “invisible hand” of the market played a crucial role in opening and refining a trade route for tea (and other goods) — the Tea-Horse Road. This market-driven force was a significant factor in the rapid development and perfection of the Tea-Horse Road from the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China.
