Ancient Tea Horse Road to Tibet in Bingzhongluo, Nujiang

Since ancient times, there are two primary land routes connecting it to the outside world , namely Silk Road in the north and Tea Horse-Road in the south. Created more than two thousand years ago, the Tea-Horse Road is the highest and most perilous of the world’s ancient routes, and to this day still show vibrant signs of life. The road from Bingzhongluo into Tibet is part of the route known as “Tea Horse Route”. Bingzhongluo is located on the high plateau of western Yunnan Province, at the foot of Gaoligong Mountain. In the old days, Tibetans routinely operated mule and horse caravans on arduous long journeys from here to Lhasa, and beyond, to Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and India. These caravan routes became vital arteries for cultural, economic and religious exchange between Tibet and South Asia as the tea trade flourish.

Traveling along the Nujiang River, you’ll arrive at Chawalong, Tibet’s easternmost town, which is about 80 km away from Bingzhongluo which will take about 3-4 days’s walking. The journey between the two places zigzags through high mountain slopes, dense forests, gorges and wastelands. Since ancient times the transport of all goods and supplies has relied entirely on horse caravans. Tea was the main commodity carried on such caravans. The road was one of the channels through which the Peoples Liberation Army entered Tibet.