In China’s history, there is also another business route-”Tea Road” besides renowned “Silk Road”. The tea road, an international route mainly for tea trade, will enable tourists to have a deep understanding of China’s tea culture. When embarking on this route, one could be immersed in a long and profound history of tea. It seems like a life journey when marching on this tea route, especially studying the flavor of tea. When involved in such mountains and rivers as Wuyi Mountain, Jinggang Mountain, Wudang Mountain and Huangshan Mountain, you will sense the tea’s vigor from them and experience the purity of human and nature.
Since the environment in which the tea is grown has special requirements for humidity, temperature, altitude and soil. The area where the tea is grown presents the geographical features of near mountains and waters. Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei have become the origins of tea in China. On this route, tourists can enjoy the spectacular mountains and rivers and experience the unique natural scenery.
Wuyi Mountain, sits at the southern suburb of Wuyishan City, features a typical Danxia Landform. It is a famous scenic tourist area and summer resort in China. Wuyi Mountain is endowed with a unique and superior environment, which has attracted numerous scholars and literary generals of all generations to visit or retreat, write or apprentice in the mountains. Natural landscapes cultivated people’s temperament, enlightened people’s wisdom, while human activities developed Wuyi Mountain, and added luster to the natural landscapes. The wisdom of the ancestors, the stay of the scribes left many cultural relics on both sides of the Jiuqu Stream: there are 18 ancient ship hotels that have been immortalized for thousands of years, 35 ruins of the academies of Zhu Xi, You Zuo, Xiong He, Cai Yuanding, more than 450 stone carvings of ancient cliffs that can be regarded as a treasure trove of ancient Chinese calligraphy art. Among them, there are 13 bans on the protection of Wuyi mountains, rivers, animals and plants by ancient government and villagers, and more than 60 temples and ruins.
Poyang Lake,located in the north of Jiangxi Province and on the south bank of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, is the largest freshwater lake and the second largest lake in China, second to Qinghai Lake. The Poyang Lake water system is composed of the five major rivers and tributaries of Gan River, Fu River, Xin River, Rao River, Xiushui River, plus Qingfeng Mountain Creek, Boyang River, Zhangtian River, Tongjin River and other small rivers that flow into the lake alone, as well as other seasonal streams and Poyang Lake. The Poyang Lake water system isa complete water system. Water from all rivers is injected into the Poyang Lake. After being stored, it flows from the estuary into the Yangtze River and becomes an important part of the Yangtze River water system. The Poyang Lake is a world-famous bird sanctuary. Thousands of migratory birds come here in late autumn.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a world geological park” and the site of the prototype mountain of Hallelujah in the movie “Avatar”. The scenic spot includes Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai), Yellow Golden Whip Stream (Jinbianxi), Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, Daguantai, Tianzi Mountain, Shili Gallery. Zhangjiajie is a key tourist city in China in light of its rich tourism resources. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area, comprising Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (China’s first national forest park), Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve, Suoxiyu Natural Reserve and Yangjiajie, has the rare quartz rock peak-forest landscape. The scenic tourist area covers an area of 264.6 square kilometers, and it is one of the first batch of listed World Natural Heritage, the first batch of geological parks in the world, ans the first set of 5A-level tourist scenic spots in the country. Moreover, Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park (soul of Wuling), Badagongshan National Nature Reserve (genetic bank of rare species in the world), Wulei Mountain (sacred site of Tao), Maoyan River, Wanfu Hot Spring and other scenic spots are also beautiful. The former residence of Helong and the site of the CPC Provincial Committee of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou Revolutionary Base are major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level and other eight cultural and historical sites including Puguang Temple, Yuhuangdong Grottoes, and old courtyard are key cultural relics protected at the provincial level.
Xiling Gorge starts from Gezhouba in the east and reaches the Three Gorges Dam in the west. It is a famous tourist spot in China. After the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, a 600-kilometer reservoir was formed as a rare new landscape in the world. Historically, Xiling Gorge is famous for its twists and turns of channels, strange rocks, flooded beaches, and thrilling boat trips. Then, the water trend has been flatterned with the years management of the Chuanjiang waterway and the completion og the Gezhouba water conservancy project. But the beautiful landscape remain same as before.. Xiling Gorge is known as “dangerous”, and is the most dangerous place in the Three Gorges. It starts form Xiangcikou in the west of Zigui County, Hubei Province, and reaches Nanjin Pass in Yichang City, Hubei province in the east. In the north bank is the Baojian Gorge, the Niugan and Mafie (ox liver and horse lung) gorge, the hometown of Quyuan and Zigui; in the south is the Dengying (light shadow) Gorge. Many celebrates, such as Quyuan, Bai Juyi, Ouyang Xiu, Su Zhe, have left the time-honored poems here.
Since the 1970s, Moscow merchants have started to import tea form China. Fujian, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and other regions produce a large amount of tea, and the tea merchants distributed in various regions have gradually developed into business giants. As the rise of tea production and trade and Central Asia and the Far East markets, merchants from Shanxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hebei and Henan have created numerous business legendary stories with rich architectural heritages and commercial resources, including Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao Family Courtyyard, Yaoli Ancient Town, Jiangxi Wanshou Palace, Chang’s Manor, Hongjiang Anicent Mall and Sanduotang of Cao’s Family.
Wanshou (Longevity) Palace, located in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, is also called “Jiangxi Temple”, “Jiangxi Tongxiang Pavilion” and “Yuzhang Guild Hall”. In ancient times, where there are Jiangxi people, there is a Wanshou Palace. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jiangxi had a boom economy with businesses in ceramic, tea, rice, wood and silk across the country. Local merchants built the Wanshou Palace throughout the country where became the “Jiangxi Guild Hall” for Jinagxi people. The Gan River features picturesque landscapes. Xianghu Lake is formed by the confluence of water flows from Nanjiang, Bejiang, Dongjiang, Xijiang and Qingshan lakes. The layout of Xianghu Lake resembles and elephant, so it is named as Xianghu Lake. The site of Wanshou Palace is a small island located in Xianghu Lake, covering an area of about 60 Mus. It is known as “Blessing Island”. the 4,600-square-meter building complex on the island is the orthodox monastery of the Taoist shrine-Nanchang Wanshou Palace. It seems to be a pearl in;laid in the entire Xianghu Scenic Area.
Hongjiang Ancient Ancient Mall, famous for tung oil, wood and white wax, enjoy the reputation of “Pearl of Xiangxi”, “Minor Chongqing”, “Minor Nanjing” and “Southwest Metropolis”.. Nowadays, there is a complete ancient shopping mall during the Ming, Qing, and Republic od China periods, which was regarded as the classic of Jiangnan folk residence. It is also one of one of the most complete and richly preserved ancient cities in China. Some experts called it as “the living fossil of the germination of capitalism in inland regions.”
She (credit) Dian Ancient Town, which is located in Sheqi County, Nanyang City, Henan province, is an irreplaceable transfer station on the “Tea Road” connecting the south and north. It is also an important cause and symbol for Shedian’s boom business. She Dian Ancient Town is a living carrier, living fossil and living specimen for studying ancient transportation culture, commercial and trade culture, financial and tax culture as well as commercial transaction culture between China and foreign states. She Dian town has a long and unique history with favorable geographical location and developed water transportation. It is said that Liu Xiu took credit here and borrowed the shop flag uprising marked “Liu Ji” before the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty. When he came into throne, he renamed the Xinglong shops as She (credit) Qi (flag) Dian (shops), She Dian for short. The town was also renamed as “She Qi”, which was gradually replaced by the homophonic “She”.
The Ancient City of Pingyao is one of four best preserved ancient cities in China, in which streets, shops and houses still remain traditional layout and landscapes. As an ancient county best preserved in China, Pingyao is an outstanding example of Han ethnic cities in Ming and Qing Dynasties, presenting an outstanding scroll incorporating culture, society, economy and religion in Chinese history.
Pingyao was originally constructed in the early year of Ming Dynasty to resist outbound harassment to the south. In the third year (1370) of Hongwu, the original city wall was expanded and reconstructed with new bricks, then with ten times of restoration through generations of Jingtai, Zhengde, Jiajin, Longqing and Wanli. In the 43rd year (1703) of Kangxi, four grand towers were built because of emperor’s west inspection, making it more spectacular. The Pingyao City Wall, with a circumference of 6163 meters, is about 12 meters high, separating the Pingyao County into two distinctive worlds. Inside the city wall is streets, shops and buildings of Qing and Ming dynasties; outside the city wall is a modern city. It is an extraordinary place featuring both ancient and modern buildings.
Qiao’s Grand Courtyard, sitting at Qiaojiabao villiage in Dongguan, Qixian county, was once the residence of Qiao Zhiyong, a famous Shanci merchant of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is also regarded as a folk museum of Jinzhong.
Dajingmen is one of four majors passes of the Great Wall of China and it had a very important position in history. Meanwhile, it is also home to friendly exchanges of Mongolian, Han, Hui and Tibetan cultures. In Qing Dynasty, Dajingmen, as an important trading hub in the north, was called “Commercial Port” and “Capital of Fur”.