Tea as a Medium: Ethnic Interaction along the Tea-Horse Road A Case Study of the Six Great Tea Mountains in Qing Sipsongpanna
Abstract
The Qing dynasty witnessed the maturation of Yunnan's Pu'er tea trade as a dynamic force fostering economic and social integration
among the diverse ethnic groups of southwestern China. Flowing along the Tea-Horse Road from production centers such as the Six Great Tea
Mountains of Sipsongpanna to distribution hubs and consumption regions including Xizang and Sichuan, tea served not only as a commodity
but also as a medium of cross-cultural interaction. Under evolving state policiesfrom the tribute tea system to regulated tea licensesHan
merchants, Tai Lue chieftains, multi-ethnic tea farmers, and Tibetan traders engaged in sustained exchange, cooperation, and cohabitation.
This historical process facilitated the blending of economic practices, social customs, and cultural identities, contributing to the consolidation
of a unified multi-ethnic state during the Qing period. By retracing the legacy of tea-centered interaction, this study offers a historical perspective on the long-term formation of the Chinese national community, with implications for contemporary initiatives that seek to leverage cultural heritage in strengthening ethnic solidarity and supporting regional development.
among the diverse ethnic groups of southwestern China. Flowing along the Tea-Horse Road from production centers such as the Six Great Tea
Mountains of Sipsongpanna to distribution hubs and consumption regions including Xizang and Sichuan, tea served not only as a commodity
but also as a medium of cross-cultural interaction. Under evolving state policiesfrom the tribute tea system to regulated tea licensesHan
merchants, Tai Lue chieftains, multi-ethnic tea farmers, and Tibetan traders engaged in sustained exchange, cooperation, and cohabitation.
This historical process facilitated the blending of economic practices, social customs, and cultural identities, contributing to the consolidation
of a unified multi-ethnic state during the Qing period. By retracing the legacy of tea-centered interaction, this study offers a historical perspective on the long-term formation of the Chinese national community, with implications for contemporary initiatives that seek to leverage cultural heritage in strengthening ethnic solidarity and supporting regional development.
Keywords
Qing Dynasty; Tea-Horse Road; Yunnan Tea Trade; Ethnic Interaction, Exchange and Integration; Sipsongpanna
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/neet.v4i1.8493
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