Қытайдың көне шай және жылқы жолы

Network of caravan paths in southwestern China

The Tea Horse Road or Chamadao , now generally referred to as the Ancient Tea Horse Road or Chamagudao was a network of caravan paths winding through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in Southwest China. This was also a tea trade route. It is also sometimes referred to as the "Southern Silk Road" or "Southwest Silk Road." There are numerous surviving archaeological and monumental elements, including trails, bridges, way stations, market towns, palaces, staging posts, shrines and temples along the route. "Ancient Tea Horse Road" is a historical concept with a specific meaning. It refers to a major traffic road formed by the exchange of tea and horses between Han and Tibet from the Tang and Song Dynasties to the Republic of China.

Shaanxi Gansu Tea Horse Road (陕甘茶马古道) is the main road for tea in mainland China to travel west and exchange for horses. It is one of the main routes of the ancient Silk Road. It is believed that it was through this trading network that tea (typically tea bricks) first spread across China and Asia from its origins in Pu'er county in Yunnan. The route earned the name because of the common trade of Tibetan ponies for Chinese tea, a practice dating back at least to the Song dynasty, when the sturdy horses were important for China to fight warring nomads in the north. Both people and horses carried heavy loads. Tea porters sometimes carried over 60–90 kg (132 198 lb. ), which was often more than their own body weight in tea. Porters were equipped with metal tipped staffs, both for balance while walking and to help support the load while they rested, so they didn't need to lay the bales down (as illustrated in the photo). In addition to tea, the mule caravans carried salt and silk products from Chengdu, notably shujin (蜀锦; a type of Sichuan embroidery)

The Ancient Tea Horse Road is a complex network of roads, of which some of the ancient tea horse roads and related historical sites in Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were listed as the seventh batch of China National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units on 5 March 2013. There are numerous cultural heritage sites listed as National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Units, including ancient road sites, post stations, shops, pagodas, bridges and piers, as well as related guild buildings, religious buildings, mining and metallurgical sites and kiln sites, cliff carvings and inscriptions in the ancient tea horse road network.

Name Location location Description pictureGuiyang Section Changpolin Old Road Baiyun district Located in the Changpo Ling Forest Park, the masonry is about 3 km long and was built in the Ming dynasty. Centipede Slope ancient Road, including Centipede Bridge Saparing town, Xiuwen County The post road is now about 5 km long; the Centipede Bridge is a three hole arch bridge, 41m long and 5m wide, spanning the Cat Cave River. Old Black Mud Post Road Qingzhen City black mud sentinel village Built during the Hongwu period of the Ming dynasty, it is now 5 km long and built of green stone. Black Mud Wharf Qingzhen City black mud sentinel village Built in the 16th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty (1836). Qing Yan Ancient Road Huaxi District Qingyan Town Built during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, it is now 8 km long. Bijie Section Qixingguan Ancient Post Road Yangjiawan Township, Qixingguan District The surviving ancient post road is 2 km long and 1 2m wide. Seven Star Pass Cliffs Yangjiawan Township, Qixingguan District Bijie Shaanxi Association House Chengguan Town, Qixingguan District Also known as the "Spring and Autumn Ancestral Hall", it is located at No. 41, South China Road, Chengguan Town. It was first built during the Qianlong period, sitting west to east, and consists of a street shop, a theatre building, a large hall, a bell tower, a drum tower and a north and south wing. Sibao Old Road Weining County Yan chang town Located in the southern part of the village of Sibao in the town of Yancang, it was built in the Ming dynasty during the Hongwu period and survives for about 10 km. Ying Hong Ancient Road Jinduo Township, Weining County Located in Ying Hong Village, Jindou Township, the masonry is about 3 km long, with the existing section from Guanyin Yan to the old town street along the Kedu River. Six Hole Bridge Long Beach Caohai Town, Weining County It was built in the Qing dynasty during the Xianfeng period and repaired during the Tongzhi period. North west south east, 345m long, of which 328m is the length of the embankment and 3m wide. The dike and the bridge are united, the bridge spans the Dazhong River and is a three hole stone arch bridge, 17m long and 4.5m wide, with a net span of 3.6m and a height of 2.2m; the dike and the bridge are built of material stone, and willows are planted all over the dike. Kedu Bridge Jinduo Township, Weining County Kam Tong Ancient Road Huangniatang Township, Dafang County The existing 2 km long, built in the Ming dynasty, is paved with stone. Goya Old Road Shuangshan Township and Zhuyuan Township, Dafang County Built in the 17th year of the reign of Hongwu (1384), it is now about 5 km long. Guli Old Road Guli Township, Qianxi County Built in the 17th year of the reign of Hongwu (1384), it is now about 2 km long. Parrot's Beak Old Road Shuitang Township, Hezhang County Located in the village of Shuitang in the township of Shuitang, it was built in the Ming dynasty during the Hongwu period and is about 3–4 km long. Yishenglong Trading Company Drumfield Street, Jinsha County Also known as "Rome Street Salt House", it is located at 133 Rome Road, Chengguan Town, and was built in the Qing dynasty. The building is laid out in the "Dragon Gate" style, consisting of a stable, a main room, a north and south wing, a salt storehouse, and a fire fighting wall. Ancient Road of the Yutang River Jinsha County Yidu Rock Carving Qingchi Township, Jinsha County Qing Chi Jiangxi Association House Qingchi Township, Jinsha County Luo Qi's Mei's Festival of Filial Piety Jinsha County Built in the fifth year of the Daoguang era (1825), it is approximately 9 metres high. Anshun section Jigongbei Old Post Station Guanglin County Guangsoling Ancient Post Road, including the ruins of the Ba Ling Bridge Guanglin County Goshulou Sekidai Guanglin County Beikou Ancient Post Road Guanglin County Anlong Ancient Post Road Guanglin County Panjiang Bridge Stone Carving Group Guanling County, Anshun City and Qinglong County, Qianxinan Prefecture Liupanshui Section The ancient road from Daitieguan to Canziyao (Liuzhi section) Liuzhi District Old Soft Bridge Post Road with Welcome Bridge
Panzhou City Xiaojiezi Ancient Road Panzhou City Huopu Ancient Road Panzhou City Chating Ancient Road Panzhou City Mothballed Old Road Panzhou City Also known as the Golden Land Ancient Road. Plumtree Old Road Panzhou City Also known as the Great Water Well Ancient Road. Pingguan to Shengjingguan Ancient Road Panzhou City Shaoshang Ancient Road Panzhou City Also known as the Two Rivers Water Gully Ancient Road. Shiguan Old Road Panzhou City Qianxinan section Panjiang Bridge Stone Carving Group Qinglong County, Qianxinan Prefecture, Guanling County, Anshun City Pan River Bridge Old Road Qinglong County The Ancient Road of Halfpond Qinglong County Angul Pahang Angu Township, Qinglong County Built in 1826, it is a brick and porcelain structure with four columns and three single doors. Pinehill Temple Pu'an County Daitieguan to Canziyao Ancient Road (Pu'an section) Pu'an County Ma Ling Old Road (with wooden bridge) Yilong New District

The site of Guangen Bridge is located in Minjiang Village, Zhen Yuan County and Enle Old Street river bank, built in the early Qing dynasty, the bridge is 188 meters long, with stone piers and wooden frames, and more than 50 tiled houses on both sides. Qing Yongzheng five years (1727) flooding washed away, the Qing dynasty Yongzheng eight years (1730) and the Qing dynasty Daoguang three years (1823), the county Tan on the restoration of the wide grace bridge. Qing dynasty Daoguang six years (1826), the county Zhang Zhao additional repaired the Guangen Bridge. Qing dynasty Tongzhi's first year (1862), this bridge was burned again. In the middle of the Republic of China, repaired into a stone pier wooden surface bridge. Early liberation of China, the bridge was washed away by the river, now only four stone piers, the rest were covered by the river bank sediment, stone pier part in 1973 to build the Enable Bridge with stone was demolished. Now the west bank pier is 4.2 meters high, 12.6 meters wide, and 9.7 meters long, complete preservation.

On March 5, 2013, the Tea Horse Ancient Road was announced by The State Council of the People's Republic of China as the seventh batch of national key cultural relic protection units.