The TEA HORSE ROAD

One of the longest trade routes in the ancient world, from Yunnan and Sichuan to Tibet, the Tea Horse Road, known in Chinese as the Cha Ma Gu Dao  茶马古道 began in the 7th century when the Tibetans discovered a taste and a need for tea. The tea of choice was Pu'er from the southwest of Yunnan, near the Burmese border, and it had to travel by pack train. In return, the Chinese wanted war horses to protect their northern frontier. The trade, along more than 3,000 km of trails, lasted until the middle of the 20th century. We're now creating photo workshops along the route, and one of the bases will be Lijiang, in association with Bivou.