Tea on Horseback

Tea on Horseback

With five tons of Pu'er tea, a team of 120 horses and mules led by 43 stablemen from Southwest China's Yunnan Province arrived in Beijing after more than five months of travelling.

An auction of the tea will be held with proceeds going to the Project Hope.

The event, started on May 1st, is aimed to promote Pu'er tea culture by reviving the tradition when Pu'er tea was transported on horseback from Simao, hometown of Pu'er tea in Yunnan Province, to the royal court in Beijing.

At that time, horses were one of the most convenient means to transport, the transportation itself was one of the processes in making the fine Pu'er tea. It is said the unique taste of Pu'er tea was developed during the month-long horseback transportation when the tea-leaves would begin to ferment in the humidity and release a strong, fragrant aroma.

This is the first horseback transportation of Pu'er tea along the same route from Simao to Beijing since the practice died out 166 years ago. There have been four tea auctions along the way in Kuming, Chengdu, Xi'an and Taiyuan. Beijing was the trip's final stop.

Source