Xinyang, China News Service, Feb. 17 (Pan Zaijun & Zhang Yinxiang) After nearly a year of enduring wind and weather and arduous trekking, the camel caravan of the "Retracing the Tea Road" event, jointly initiated by the government of Erenhot City in Inner Mongolia, the Inner Mongolia Tea Road Research Association, and others, arrived today in Xinyang, Henan Province—the renowned hometown of green tea—kicking off a series of tea-themed activities in Xinyang.
The launch ceremony for the "Retracing the Tea Road" series of events in Xinyang, China’s Tea Capital, was held at Xinyang Maojian Group. Wei Yong, president of the Xinyang Tea Association, and Hu Mingfang, secretary-general and chief planner of the "Retracing the Tea Road" event, exchanged gifts (tea and khadags), and a flag was presented to the caravan. Kan Guiqian, general manager of Xinyang Maojian Group, toasted to encourage the caravan members. At the signal, the camels, laden with Xinyang’s famous "Longtan Xinyang Maojian" tea, set off again, embarking on their journey to Europe.
The "Tea Road" originated from the Treaty of Nerchinsk signed between China and Russia in 1689. According to the treaty, the two nations engaged in tea trade, and a trade route stretching over ten thousand li began—from Fujian and Hunan, passing through Hankou, Beijing, Guihua (now Hohhot), Kulun (today's Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia), Kyakhta in Russia, Irkutsk, Orenburg, Moscow, and finally reaching Saint Petersburg. This Eurasian trade route, which flourished due to tea commerce and lasted for 320 years, came to be known as the "Tea Road." It gradually faded from view by the end of the Qing Dynasty, but many historical remnants along the route remain well preserved.
In late April 2013, an expedition team of "Retracing the Tea Road," consisting of over 60 members and 120 camels, set out from Inner Mongolia. Following the historic Tea Road, they transported famous teas from various regions and trekked on foot through seven provinces and regions including Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, and Inner Mongolia, searching for historical memories along the Tea Road.
Xinyang was once a famed tea-producing region in ancient Huainan. As one of China’s largest producers of high-mountain green tea and an important node city along the Ten Thousand Li Tea Road, Xinyang’s tea and tea culture boast a history of over 3,000 years. The region’s signature tea, Xinyang Maojian, is one of China’s Top Ten Famous Teas, enjoying a prestigious reputation both domestically and internationally.
"Famous for tea, developing with tea, exchanging through tea, and taking pride in tea. With a solid foundation in the tea industry and a convenient transportation network, Xinyang will play a significant and indispensable role along the Ten Thousand Li Tea Road. The success of this event will undoubtedly further enhance the influence and visibility of Xinyang’s tea industry and culture nationwide and even globally, boosting the market appeal of Xinyang as China’s Tea Capital, and driving the development of Xinyang’s tea industry," said Wei Yong, president of the Xinyang Tea Association.
The "Tea Road" is another major ancient overland trade route in the world following the Silk Road, and it once played a crucial role in East-West trade. Hu Mingfang, secretary-general and chief planner of the event organizing committee, said in an interview with reporters that to commemorate this Eurasian passage, the organizers chose the camel as the symbolic vehicle representing centuries of westward tea transport. The "Retracing the Tea Road" series of events aims primarily to elevate the overall international profile of Chinese tea, reclaim the narrative of Chinese tea culture, awaken historical memories along the Tea Road, and thereby foster tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges among China, Mongolia, and Russia along the Tea Road, allowing the international community to rediscover Chinese tea, Chinese tea culture, and Chinese civilization.
It is understood that after loading up Xinyang’s famous tea in Henan, the camel caravan will continue trekking northward before eventually returning to Inner Mongolia. There, the camels will be replaced by vehicles, which will carry the tea across 11 Eurasian countries including Mongolia, Russia, Germany, and France, reaching the final destination of Paris, France, where the caravan has been invited to attend the Paris "World Tea Congress." (End)