YCIS Shanghai welcomes author and explorer Mr. Jeff Fuchs to give a talk about appreciating tea’s central importance to Chinese cultures on his 6,000-km trek across the Tea Horse Road, the ancient trade route that winds through the Himalayas.

Mr. Fuchs, who is based in northwest Yunnan and leads expeditions regularly for wild China, will be in Shanghai for the International Literary Festival to speak about his experiences that led to his book, The Ancient Tea Horse Road.  In a blog interview about why he chose to trek the route, Fuchs emphasised its historical importance and the cultural lessons it offered:

To know the significance of the Road is to understand the importance of tea to Chinese culture and by extension, Asia and the world as well. The origins of tea go back 2,000 years, to the base origins of ancient Chinese tea trees. Minority tribes worshipped tree forests; they had a very tangible identity in the lives of these people… Travelers to China need to experience the Road to see what one route could do for so many lives, communities, businesses, and alliances. Travelers just don’t see these regions, or these stories, on an average trip. The history, stories and challenges of the Road enable those who travel it to see something real.

For more information about his talk at YCIS Shanghai, please click here.