It was time to end the Eastern Tibetan Plateau exploration and leave Moxi, at the foot of Hailougou National Glacier Park, for Chengdu. This would be a 400 km/248 mile, 5-1/2 hour ride depending on landslides and construction hold ups along the way.

It took over three hours just to Ya’an at 765m/2,500′ and the weather was really heating up at these much lower altitudes. A very hot and spicy lunch before getting on the road one last time. Exiting Ya’an, Mr. Wang pulled over by an impressive line of bronze statues on a small berm along the highway…View image. We got out and heard what these statues represented. The Ancient Horse Tea Road, or caravan, passed through Ya’an on what was called the “Small Tea Road” that led from China to Lhasa, Tibet. Earlier this morning we had seen people and horses carrying goods that could have easily stepped out of the 7th century.

Chinese women carrying baskets on their backs 

horses along the road carrying goods through a small town in China
The Small Tea Road began in Ya’an carrying tea produced here. Passed through Luding and ended in Kangding where it met up with the Big Tea Road that continued on to Tibet on two different trails. One led through Derge (we were there) and the other through Lithang. The Big Tea Road was used by caravans for centuries as a path between Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces.

bronze depictions of the Ancient Horse Tea Road, China
Chinese porters would climb from the lowlands up to Kangding carrying huge loads of tea on their backs…View image… where it when then transferred to Tibetan yak caravans that took it the rest of the way to Lhasa. It took 40 days to make the arduous trip over 1,800-2,000 kilometers/1,100-1,200 miles and the expressive bronze faces showed how difficult this trip was. Once in Tibet, the Chinese would return with horses and other goods to sell in China. After all, would hate to see them travel for 40 days and deadhead back.

expressive bronze face on the Ya’an tea road porter, China 

carrying the heavy tea formed into bricks on the Tea Road, China
I knew all about the famous Silk Roads (been there, done it) but was completely unaware there was also a Tea Road. There’s always something to learn.
From Ya’an, there was a fast and wonderful tollway all the way to Chengdu, the end of this fascinating trip.