The first culture seminar about ancient Yunnan Tea-Horse Road began in the Old Town of Lijiang on Thursday. The top-drawer tea exhibition opened at the same time.
Unlike the Silk Road, the ancient Tea-Horse Road, from Sichuan province to Tibet Autonomous Reign, was mainly for domestic use. It boosted economic and cultural exchange among the ethnic groups in western China, but also connected south China and south Asia.
Over 150 culture experts on tea, the Tea-Horse Road and the Lijiang ethnic groups and those from tea-making enterprises and tourism sector attended the seminar.
“Lijiang is a key town on the ancient Road and keeps the relics of the ancient Road,” said Yang Guoqing, chairman of Lijiang Culture Research Society. “The study of the Ancient Road culture is important for its protection and preservation.”
The Old Town of Lijiang was once a trade and transportation center on the ancient Tea-House Road, and its prosperity owes to the road.
By Guo Changdong and Zhang Nan
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