古道西行

On the Ancient Route

那条仅供马帮牦牛行走其间的古道已然沉寂了,那条迤逦数千里、穿越整个横断山脉的天堑古道的完整形象也早已不复存在。 世人皆知藏人嗜茶,却不易理解其情感和依赖的程度之深。如今茶价低廉,旧时对于茶的渴求已经消隐。你只会在个别的时刻,隐约听到历史的回响。汉文史料中多有藏人‘嗜茶如命’、‘如不得茶,则病且死。’的字样,藏地民谚则有‘汉家饭果腹,藏家茶饱肚。’、‘宁可三日无食,不可一日无茶。’之说。 千余年间,一条进入藏地的古道,从热带雨林的深处,从成都盆地的边缘,溯江河而上,直指拉萨,辐射整个横断山脉凡有人群居住的地方,为藏地源源不断输入了茶叶。它穿越青藏高原,甚至延伸到喜马拉雅西端的阿里地区,并通达缅甸、尼泊尔、克什米尔和印度。 这就是那条以‘茶马互布’而闻名的古道,它起于唐,兴于宋,是世界上海拔最高的最艰险的通商网路和古代文明传播的通道。

Stretching from the boundary of the Sichuan Basin, via rainforest in Yunnan to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the time-honoured Tea & Horse Caravan Route has been providing tea leaves for people living in those areas. In June 2002, an exploration team and the writer made an arduous trip to this important channel where cultures and businesses exchange.