The Tea Horse Road winds through the towering mountains of southwest China.
Since the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century, people from China’s inland regions and its southwestern border areas exchanged tea, horses, and other goods, carving out a mysterious trade route through the mountains with countless caravans and porters.
The barter trade on the Tea Horse Road feels familiar to David Couvidat from France. In his homeland, mule caravans carried salt from Camargue along the "Salt Road" to Rouergue (now in Aveyron), exchanging it for timber used in shipbuilding.
Having lived in China for six years, David has been actively promoting French language and culture. Moments of discovery often leave him marveling at the fascinating connections across time and space between China and France.
More often, he finds himself captivated by the unique charm of Chinese culture as he embarks on journeys across the country. This time, accompanied by Gong Liang, honorary director of Nanjing Museum, his destination is Pu’er City in Yunnan Province, where there are well-preserved remnants of the Tea Horse Road.
The mystery of the Tea Horse Road has long fascinated David. To him, tea, the primary commodity traded along the route, embodies the distinct flavor of China. The fact that this ancient pathway leads to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—often called "the roof of the world"—adds an air of wonder.
The journey offered a rich tapestry of experiences, appealing to any foreign expat with its aromatic tea, diverse cultures, unique customs of various ethnic groups, and breathtaking landscapes.
Walking along the stone-paved path, it dawned on David that tea is more than just a beverage or a lifestyle. It represents a shared aspiration for a better life among different ethnic groups. Driven by this common goal, these ethnic groups have cooperated and supported each other for generations.
For thousands of years, it was their collective effort that gave rise to the Tea Horse Road and expanded it into a sprawling network of trade and cultural exchange routes. This enduring spirit of unity and collaboration, he realized, is the foundation that has sustained Chinese civilization for millennia.
茶马古谈,周折在中国西南的群山万壑中。自唐代起,汉藏两地为了各自的糊口和发展所需,以茶叶和马匹等物产进行交换,多半马帮和背夫在群山之中踏出一条微妙的商路。
以物换物的陈腐生意神志,对法国东谈主大卫·库维达(David Couvidat)来说并不生分。在法国,曾经有骡队沿着“盐路”将产自地中海沿岸卡玛格地区的盐运往270多公里外的鲁埃格地区(现法国阿韦龙省),换取用于造船的木料。在中国糊口六年,通过法语教诲伸开文化疏导,大卫频繁感受到东西方时髦卓越时空的玄妙碰撞。
大卫也一次次被中国博大清雅无比的文化眩惑,一次次踏上切身探索感知之旅。这一次,他和南京博物院名誉院长龚良一齐,来到云南普洱。茶马古谈的微妙令大卫耽溺。在他看来,茶马古谈上的主要货色——茶,是属于中国的滋味;这条路通向寰球屋脊青藏高原,更是充满了不成想议。
走在隐于山间密林的石镶路上,大卫心中的微妙之地变得具象。拨开视野中的浓密绿意,呈当今目下的是不同民族的多元色调。蓝本茶马古谈是如叶脉一般的交通网罗。夙昔,垦荒者存一火跋涉,领略了群山中的传闻商路。千百年来撑握东谈主们卓越绝交想方设法疏导交往的,不是什么“微妙的东方力量”,而是各个民族对好意思好糊口的共同追求、会通积蓄中的和合共生。而这,也恰是中中时髦滚滚握住的奥秘。
总制片Chief Producers / 杨力群Yang Liqun 双传学Shuang Chuanxue
总运筹帷幄Chief Planners / 顾雷鸣Gu Leiming 刘伟Liu Wei
总监制Line Producer / 傅晴Fu Qing
总统筹Chief Coordinator / 沈峥嵘Shen Zhengrong
统筹Coordinators / 包闻军Bao Wenjun 王乃毅Wang Naiyi
制作Creators / 刘浏Liu Liu 陈澄Chen Cheng 朱娜Zhu Na 钱盈盈Qian Yingying 陈雨薇Chen Yuwei 王瑞枫Wang Ruifeng
好意思编Art Editor / 张迪Zhang Di