The Ancient Tea Horse Road, a trade route as famous as the Silk Road, has been a corridor for commercial exchange of tea and horses, primarily using horse caravans, since the Tang Dynasty in southwestern and northwestern China. It served as a bridge for ethnic and economic cultural exchanges in Southwest China. It declined in the 1980s, and its traces are gradually being eroded by time. Remnants of this ancient road are scattered across Yunnan. We strive to visit these historical sites before they completely vanish, seeking the glorious history they hold. This article only briefly records four of the places we have visited, with many more awaiting our exploration.
一、Yunnan Yi
If you come here because it is known as 'the earliest place called Yunnan,' be sure to stand under the Tianxing Pole in the middle of Yunnan Yi. Close your eyes and imagine time rushing past you like the clouds overhead. 'Colorful clouds appear in the south, the county is south of the clouds.' When this decree was issued in 109 BC, what a wilderness Yunnan Yi must have been. Then look at the red, yellow, and green Tianxing Pole, this iconic relic of Yunnan Yi, which recreates the glory of the Ancient Tea Horse Road and constantly reminds people to remember this history that is about to be forgotten.
二、Bixi Ancient Town
You don't need to make a special trip for this place, because you will definitely be disappointed. But if you pass by, even if you have to detour dozens of kilometers, it is worth a visit for the two characters 'Bishuo' still preserved on a broken wall, for the rooster used by horse caravans to announce the time, which you cannot see elsewhere, and for the chance to learn more about the Ancient Tea Horse Road. You might finish walking through this place, which can hardly be called an ancient town, in five minutes. But don't leave in a hurry. Choose a quiet street-side snack shop, sit down, order a bowl of tofu pudding, add a spoonful of the landlady's homemade chili sauce, and then all the 'not worth it' will become 'worth it.'
三、Mizhi Ancient Town
'Hey~~~ / The moon comes out bright and shining / Bright and shining / I think of my brother in the deep mountains / Brother walks like the moon in the sky / Walks in the sky...' This song 'Xiao He Tang Shui' (The Brook Flows) has resounded across the world, but how many people have heard of its hometown, Midu Mizhi? How many dreams of busy travelers on the Ancient Tea Horse Road were carried by the bluestone-paved ancient street, Wensheng Street, in Mizhi Ancient Town, trodden by countless horse hooves? We first arrived at Mizhi Ancient Town in April when spring was at its peak. The clear sky was particularly focused that day, with blue sky and white clouds leaving no room for imagination. But I still want to walk Wensheng Street again on a rainy dusk, to listen at the Wind and Rain Bridge to those missed journeys home.
If I arrive at dusk
I will hear the sound of horse hooves on the bluestone slabs
Hundreds of years ago, water broke through mountain streams and deep valleys
Playing the hardships of sleeping in the open
A dim lamp lights up in front of the door
Illuminating the path for horses and bronze-skinned men to find food
The horse teams crossing mountains and ridges
The most beautiful scenery and the most dangerous roads belong to them
That team that sounded hooves in a corner of history
If I arrive at dusk
A fine rain also taps on the autumn horse-feed shop
The mournful hooves gradually fade
Under the wooden window, the tired but passionate figures of the men are cast
Farewell ferments before dawn
This ancient road, which embraced the entire life of the caravan
Sees them off with soft chants
From the Wind and Rain Bridge to the Phoenix Bridge
Before the song ends and the crowd disperses
They have walked through a lifetime of vicissitudes
If I arrive at dusk
Will the slanting locust tree by the bridge
Stand with me forever
Witnessing the hoofbeats disappear into the clamor of the stars
四、Shaxi Ancient Town
When we first arrived at Shaxi Ancient Town in early April 2019, there was no wind, only pink roses covering the walls like woven brocade. The entire ancient town was immersed in the season of roses. The gentle sound of water flowing beside Sideng Street accompanied us all the way, cleansing the bodies and minds of weary travelers who had crossed mountains. The layout of small bridges and flowing water outside the town resembled the soft Jiangnan, so quiet that even time seemed reluctant to make a ticking sound. The fields outside the town began to revive. Riding on horseback, crossing those revived fields, heading towards the distant low hills, and overlooking the only surviving market on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, history seemed to repeat itself here. If you don't believe it, go and listen in front of the ancient stage; a story that has settled for hundreds of years lingers in this ancient market, never fading.
