Conceptual Analysis of the Tea-Horse Road as Cultural Route -- A Case Study of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province

Abstract

Based on field investigations, historical research and the integration of existing research achievements of relevant disciplines, this paper frames the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route” as specified by the <i>ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes</i>. The paper argues that the Tea-Horse Road is in essence a land transportation network in Asia shaped by the demand for material and cultural exchange among different ethnic groups and regions in western China. The development of the Tea-Horse Road had linked China with Southeast Asia and South Asia, a process in which tea played an active and decisive role. The paper first illustrates the distribution and history of the Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan, arguing that its layout was predominantly influenced by non-official trade. Then the paper shifts the focus to Jingmai Mountain, expounding on the migration and tea plantation history of the indigenous Dai and Blang people with evidence from several angles; it also establishes the demand for tea and the tea trading and transportation routes as the decisive factors for the development of Jingmai tea mountain, as evidenced by the formation and evolution of the old tea forests. As evidence by the religious buildings and relics, Tea-Horse Road served as the conduit for the introduction of religion, culture, technology and tools into Jingmai Mountain. In conclusion, the author argues that the concept of the Tea-Horse Road provides a broader perspective and important historical clues to understand the heritage values of Jingmai Mountain, which in turn furthers understanding the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route”.