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Conceptual Analysis of the Tea-Horse Road as Cultural Route -- A Case Study of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province

Received: 10 April 2023     Accepted: 17 May 2023     Published: 18 May 2023
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Abstract

Based on field investigations, historical research and the integration of existing research achievements of relevant disciplines, this paper frames the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route” as specified by the ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes. The paper argues that the Tea-Horse Road is in essence a land transportation network in Asia shaped by the demand for material and cultural exchange among different ethnic groups and regions in western China. The development of the Tea-Horse Road had linked China with Southeast Asia and South Asia, a process in which tea played an active and decisive role. The paper first illustrates the distribution and history of the Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan, arguing that its layout was predominantly influenced by non-official trade. Then the paper shifts the focus to Jingmai Mountain, expounding on the migration and tea plantation history of the indigenous Dai and Blang people with evidence from several angles; it also establishes the demand for tea and the tea trading and transportation routes as the decisive factors for the development of Jingmai tea mountain, as evidenced by the formation and evolution of the old tea forests. As evidence by the religious buildings and relics, Tea-Horse Road served as the conduit for the introduction of religion, culture, technology and tools into Jingmai Mountain. In conclusion, the author argues that the concept of the Tea-Horse Road provides a broader perspective and important historical clues to understand the heritage values of Jingmai Mountain, which in turn furthers understanding the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route”.

Published in International Journal of Education, Culture and Society (Volume 8, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15
Page(s) 114-125
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Tea-Horse Road, Jingmai Mountain, Cultural Route

References
[1] Baoya Chen. (2010). The Tea-Horse Road: The Ultimate Conquest of the Roof of the World-Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Trekking Expedition and Naming of the Tea-Horse Road. Scientific Chinese, 6.
[2] Jihong Mu. et al. (1992). Exploration of the Great Yunnan-Tibet-Sichuan Cultural Triangle. Kunming: Yunnan University Press, pp. 240–253.
[3] Mingming Wang. (2008). The Middle Circle: The ‘Tibetan-Yi Corridor’ and the Reconstruction of Anthropology. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press.
[4] Hua Sun. (2002). Questions on the Cultural Routes of the Tea-Horse Road. Sichuan Cultural Relics, pp. 74–83.
[5] Northern Tea-Horse Road Research Society (2011). Research on China’s Northern Tea-Horse Road. Beijing: World Affairs Press.
[6] National Priority Protection Sites Comprehensive Management System. (n.d.). Available at: www.1271.com.cn.
[7] Yiqing Zou and Yimei Zhang. (2018). Research on the Heritage Conservation of the Tea-Horse Road as a Cultural Route. Beijing Planning and Construction, (4).
[8] Zhaoguang Ge. et al. (2016). Near and Far-The Borderland, Ethnicity, and Identity in Ancient China. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company.
[9] Jihong Mu. (2014). The Spread of Tea and the Tea-Horse Road. Social Science Weekly, A05.
[10] Xiaotong Fei, ed. (2003). The Pluralistic Pattern of the Chinese People (Revised). Beijing: China Minzu University Press.
[11] Yiqing Zou, Yimei Zhang, et al. (2020). Research on the Management Status Quo of the Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan and the Corresponding Protection Measures. National Cultural Heritage Administration.
[12] Xu Li. (2017). Merchants of Different Ethnicities and Their Interactions on the Tea-Horse Road. Social Sciences Academic Press.
[13] Guowen Su. (2008). The Mangjing Blang People and Their Tea. Yunnan Nationalities Publishing House.
[14] Jinlong He. (2015). Archaeology of old Tea Forests in Pu’er Jingmai Mountain. Popular Archaeology, (8).
[15] Yaohui Xiao, et al. (2016). History of Buddhism in Yunnan. Kunming: Yunnan University Press.
[16] Yiqing Zou. (2019). Introduction to Chinese Tea Landscape of ICOMOS Thematic Study on the Global Tea Landscape (2nd ed.). ICMOS CHINA.
[17] Yiqing Zou. (2019). The Perception of the Heritage Value of Jingmai Mountain from the Perspective of the Tea-Horse Road. China Cultural Heritage, (6).
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  • APA Style

    Yiqing Zou. (2023). Conceptual Analysis of the Tea-Horse Road as Cultural Route -- A Case Study of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province. International Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 8(3), 114-125. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15

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    ACS Style

    Yiqing Zou. Conceptual Analysis of the Tea-Horse Road as Cultural Route -- A Case Study of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province. Int. J. Educ. Cult. Soc. 2023, 8(3), 114-125. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15

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    AMA Style

    Yiqing Zou. Conceptual Analysis of the Tea-Horse Road as Cultural Route -- A Case Study of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province. Int J Educ Cult Soc. 2023;8(3):114-125. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15,
      author = {Yiqing Zou},
      title = {Conceptual Analysis of the Tea-Horse Road as Cultural Route -- A Case Study of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province},
      journal = {International Journal of Education, Culture and Society},
      volume = {8},
      number = {3},
      pages = {114-125},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20230803.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijecs.20230803.15},
      abstract = {Based on field investigations, historical research and the integration of existing research achievements of relevant disciplines, this paper frames the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route” as specified by the ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes. The paper argues that the Tea-Horse Road is in essence a land transportation network in Asia shaped by the demand for material and cultural exchange among different ethnic groups and regions in western China. The development of the Tea-Horse Road had linked China with Southeast Asia and South Asia, a process in which tea played an active and decisive role. The paper first illustrates the distribution and history of the Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan, arguing that its layout was predominantly influenced by non-official trade. Then the paper shifts the focus to Jingmai Mountain, expounding on the migration and tea plantation history of the indigenous Dai and Blang people with evidence from several angles; it also establishes the demand for tea and the tea trading and transportation routes as the decisive factors for the development of Jingmai tea mountain, as evidenced by the formation and evolution of the old tea forests. As evidence by the religious buildings and relics, Tea-Horse Road served as the conduit for the introduction of religion, culture, technology and tools into Jingmai Mountain. In conclusion, the author argues that the concept of the Tea-Horse Road provides a broader perspective and important historical clues to understand the heritage values of Jingmai Mountain, which in turn furthers understanding the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route”.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AU  - Yiqing Zou
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    AB  - Based on field investigations, historical research and the integration of existing research achievements of relevant disciplines, this paper frames the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route” as specified by the ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes. The paper argues that the Tea-Horse Road is in essence a land transportation network in Asia shaped by the demand for material and cultural exchange among different ethnic groups and regions in western China. The development of the Tea-Horse Road had linked China with Southeast Asia and South Asia, a process in which tea played an active and decisive role. The paper first illustrates the distribution and history of the Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan, arguing that its layout was predominantly influenced by non-official trade. Then the paper shifts the focus to Jingmai Mountain, expounding on the migration and tea plantation history of the indigenous Dai and Blang people with evidence from several angles; it also establishes the demand for tea and the tea trading and transportation routes as the decisive factors for the development of Jingmai tea mountain, as evidenced by the formation and evolution of the old tea forests. As evidence by the religious buildings and relics, Tea-Horse Road served as the conduit for the introduction of religion, culture, technology and tools into Jingmai Mountain. In conclusion, the author argues that the concept of the Tea-Horse Road provides a broader perspective and important historical clues to understand the heritage values of Jingmai Mountain, which in turn furthers understanding the Tea-Horse Road as a “cultural route”.
    VL  - 8
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Research Center for Heritage Conservation and Urban-rural Development, Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

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