Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Department ofCulture has claimed that some antiquarians have founded some cultural heritagessuch as folk rhymes related to the tea road between China and Russia which stretchedacross Eurasia in the 17^th century, containing important historical values.

The tea road between China and Russia,also known as Wanli Tea Road, whose overall length was 5000 kilometers, originatesfrom Wuyi Mountain to the north, went via Ulan Bator, Mongolia and finallyarrived in Kyakhta, Russia. It is an important international trade channelwhich has existed for 200 years in history. 

Recently, some antiquarians in InnerMongolia have founded a folk rhyme in Hohhot,the important city in the tea road. This folk rhyme describes the story thatpersons from Shanxi Province established the biggest firm called “Da Sheng Kui”in Inner Mongolia in Qing dynasty.The procedure which recorded in this rhyme describes the scene that Da ShengKui merchants bought teas from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province and then transportedthem to prairie, which is of great significance to the research of the WanliTea Road and trade of tea.

In the heyday of Da Sheng Kui, therewere 6,000 to 7,000 employees, twenty thousand trade caravansconsisted of camels. Every camel could carry things weighed 200 kilograms andthe trade caravancould march 40 kilometersevery day. They started from Hohhotand Zhangjiakou, went through Yin Mountain and went north to the prairieor went to Ulan Batoralong the “Zhangku Road”, and then arrived in Kyakhta. They started off in the Tomb-sweeping Day andit took half a year for them to go there and back.

The cultural heritages related to thetea road between China and Russia in Inner Mongolia, except for folk rhyme,there are historic sites such as storefronts, treasuries, stores and kitchensof Da Sheng Kui in Yu Quan District, Hohhot.There is a Yilin stage historic site which is an important historic site in “ZhangkuRoad” (Zhangjiakou -Erenhot-Dakulun(Ulan Bator))Wanli tea road. Local cultural tourism department has established the museumof Yilin stage, specially exhibiting the history of Wanli Tea Road. There arecultural relics and ancient architectures such as Shanxi guild halls and GuandiTemple which are related to tea road in Xilin Gol LeagueDolonnur ancient city.

Date：2014.4.9

Source:Xinhua Net