Study On Southern Route Tea And Tea Customs On "the Ancient Tea-horse Road From Sichuan To Tibet" (Part Of Ya'an To Changdu)

Sichuan region of China is the native place of tea (Camellia sinensis).And its western area, Ya' an is one of the countries of tea region, which have the longest history in tea tree cultivation. Ya' an is the main producing area of "Southern Route Tea" and the starting point of "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" . "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" is the route of tea transporting going by Kangding , Changdu , Lasa to Nepal . During the past 2, 000 years, tea from Ba' shu area has being exported to Tibet, carried by people and horses. This fulfilled people goods and materials of Zang nationality, Moinba nationality and Xike nationality and of middle Asian countries, "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" has become another overland transporting route of economic trade after "the Silk Road" , and it has done much contribution on nationality uniting and economy intercourse between China an the other countries.In recent years, there were some people such as Mu Qi-hong had investigated "the Ancient Tea-horse Road" of Yun' nan to Tibet. Literatures and reports about "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" are not seen, so , there is no thorough study on "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" .By means of investigating "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" ,combining with senior persons' studies and discoveries, the history and evolution on producing "Southern Route Tea" , the origin and evolution of tea customs of Zang nationality, human culture on "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuanto Tibet" were probed. Results show:1. Ya' an is one of original areas of tea drinking, tea plant cultivation and tea manufacturing. It is also the main producing area of"Southern Route Tea" and the starting point of "the Ancient Tea-horse Road" of Sichuan to Tibet.2. The first time tea exported into Tibet was in Tang dynasty. Folk drinking of tea in Zang nationality started in the late period of Tang dynasty. After being forced to resume secular life, Buddhist monks spread out the habit of drinking tea and method of making tea into normal people of Zang nationality.3. There were two main routes of the transporting of Southern Route Tea. Look on Ya' an region as the starting point, after going into Kang' ding, it can be branched out into two routes: the north one was going by Dao' fu, Lu'huo, Gan' zi, De' ge, Jiang' da, Changdu, and the south one was going by Ya' jiang, Li' tang, Ba' tang, Mang' kang, Zuo' gong, Changdu, then both of the two route goes toward area of Zang nationality.4. Governors of each dynasty looked on border market tea as means to control the people in politics and exploit the people in economy. The transporting and sale of Southern Route Tea were controlled by authority, and there execution was insured by cruel penal law.5. "the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Sichuan to Tibet" has very important historic meaning after its 2000 years of rising and declining: it was a link of politics economy, pushed on development of society economy, and promoted formation and development of cities and towns in Zang region, accelerated culture communication of Zang nationality , Han nationality and other nationalities.6. Socialist transformation has extremely important impact on the industry of Southern Route Tea, making its production and sale to Zang region keeping on rising.7. Everybody drinks tea in Zang region. Tea has been incorporated with their folk customs. People Use tea as present when festivals, oblation,...