The Tea Horse Road winds through the towering mountains of southwest China.
Since the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century, people from China’s inland regions and its southwestern border areas exchanged tea, horses, and other goods, carving out a mysterious trade route through the mountains with countless caravans and porters.
The barter trade on the Tea Horse Road feels familiar to David Couvidat from France. In his homeland, mule caravans carried salt from Camargue along the "Salt Road" to Rouergue (now in Aveyron), exchanging it for timber used in shipbuilding.
Having lived in China for six years, David has been actively promoting French language and culture. Moments of discovery often leave him marveling at the fascinating connections across time and space between China and France.
More often, he finds himself captivated by the unique charm of Chinese culture as he embarks on journeys across the country. This time, accompanied by Gong Liang, honorary director of Nanjing Museum, his destination is Pu’er City in Yunnan Province, where there are well-preserved remnants of the Tea Horse Road.
The mystery of the Tea Horse Road has long fascinated David. To him, tea, the primary commodity traded along the route, embodies the distinct flavor of China. The fact that this ancient pathway leads to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—often called "the roof of the world"—adds an air of wonder.
The journey offered a rich tapestry of experiences, appealing to any foreign expat with its aromatic tea, diverse cultures, unique customs of various ethnic groups, and breathtaking landscapes.
Walking along the stone-paved path, it dawned on David that tea is more than just a beverage or a lifestyle. It represents a shared aspiration for a better life among different ethnic groups. Driven by this common goal, these ethnic groups have cooperated and supported each other for generations.
For thousands of years, it was their collective effort that gave rise to the Tea Horse Road and expanded it into a sprawling network of trade and cultural exchange routes. This enduring spirit of unity and collaboration, he realized, is the foundation that has sustained Chinese civilization for millennia.
茶马古说念，鬈曲在中国西南的高山高山中。自唐代起，汉藏两地为了各自的生存和发展所需，以茶叶和马匹等物产进行交换，遍及马帮和背夫在群山之中踏出一条奥秘的商路。
以物换物的迂腐交易形态，对法国东说念主大卫·库维达（David Couvidat）来说并不生疏。在法国，曾经有骡队沿着“盐路”将产自地中海沿岸卡玛格地区的盐运往270多公里外的鲁埃格地区（现法国阿韦龙省），换取用于造船的木柴。在中国生存六年，通过法语熏陶伸开文化疏导，大卫频繁感受到东西方漂后超越时空的好意思妙碰撞。
大卫也一次次被中国博大精好意思的文化劝诱，一次次踏上切身探索感知之旅。这一次，他和南京博物院名誉院长龚良一皆，来到云南普洱。茶马古说念的奥秘令大卫沉溺。在他看来，茶马古说念上的主要货色——茶，是属于中国的滋味；这条路通向寰宇屋脊青藏高原，更是充满了不成想议。
走在隐于山间密林的石镶路上，大卫心中的奥秘之地变得具象。拨开视野中的浓密绿意，呈当今目下的是不同民族的多元颜色。原本茶马古说念是如叶脉一般的交通收集。以前，斥地者存一火跋涉，相识了群山中的传说商路。千百年来支撑东说念主们超越隔绝想方设法疏导往来的，不是什么“奥秘的东方力量”，而是各个民族对好意思好生存的共同追求、长入汇注中的和合共生。而这，也恰是中中漂后马水车龙的奥秘。
总制片Chief Producers / 杨力群Yang Liqun 双传学Shuang Chuanxue
总策动Chief Planners / 顾雷鸣Gu Leiming 刘伟Liu Wei
总监制Line Producer / 傅晴Fu Qing
总统筹Chief Coordinator / 沈峥嵘Shen Zhengrong
统筹Coordinators / 包闻军Bao Wenjun 王乃毅Wang Naiyi
制作Creators / 刘浏Liu Liu 陈澄Chen Cheng 朱娜Zhu Na 钱盈盈Qian Yingying 陈雨薇Chen Yuwei 王瑞枫Wang Ruifeng
好意思编Art Editor / 张迪Zhang Di