YADONG SKIRTED by THE TEA-HORSE TRADE ROUTE

TEXT AND PHOTOS

The Tea-Horse Trade Route, spanning the Yunnan-Guizhou and Qinghai-Tibet Plateaus, went from the Tibetan hinterland to South Asian countries such as India, Nepal and Bhutan. Along the route were many towns involved in border trade; one such is Yadong County, Shigatse Prefecture.

House in Phari

Phari

Phari Town stands at an elevation of 4,360 meters. Before Nagqu and Shiquanhe grew into towns, Phari was already known as the highest town in the world. Nowadays,it is the largest of its kind in Tibet. The houses of Tibetan residents, each wide and flat-roofed, are decorated with colorful vignettes. The town is surrounded by the towering peaks of the Himalayas. The most beautiful Chomolari Peak looks delicate and lovely in the sunshine.

"It was busy with many businessmen from Bhutan, India and Nepal as well as Kham area. Bhutanese mainly sold rice, stir-fried millet and various fruits. Indians sold cloths. Nepal's lamp oil was very popular. Kampa's tea and firs made the most profit here."

Lhaba Zholma, 75, from Mamling County, was a slave of a patrician family before she married in Bainang County. Her husband was a trader until 1954 when Gyangze was damaged by flood. He then left for a seven-day walk to Phari with a friend of the horse caravan.

They settled down at Phari. Her husband joined in the pasturing and Lhaba Zholma wove pulu woolen fabrics.

Street scene of the Upper Yadong Township

More than 200 years ago, Phari had only a couple herding families. Later on immigrant serfs, missionaries and vendors came to the southern Tibet pasture and settled down. More residents brought trade to Phari. The town lies on the boundary meeting point of Bhutan, India and China. Exchanges took place quite naturally. In the beginning of 20th Century, Phari had become an important county of Tibet with some big clan families. Shops from various branches of large Tibetan trading firms sprang up; much money was earned from imports and exports.

"In the past, Phari Town had more people than today. At that time, although the houses were in poor condition,the business was very hot. The street was crowded with vendors and businessmen from all countries and Kham area. We didn't dare to offend the Khampabecause they're strong and bold. The two biggest trade names were Bamdachang and Sangdongchang, who had numerous mules and horses. "

Auntie Sazin is 78 now. She was born in Gyangze and moved to Phari at the age of three. Her father was doing business at that time, hiring horsemen to buy goods in India and sell them to people of shigatse. She first married to a merchant from Beijing. After the Democratic Reform in 1959 she gave one hada scarf to her husband and saw him off at the bus station. Afterwards she became wife of Soinam Dorbogyi who was chamberlain of a rich family. Dorbogyi was at Rezhengchang in charge of trading between Kalimpong and Lhasa.

Shazin in Phari

She once traveled to Bhutan, Calcutta in India and twice to Katmandu of Nepal. Her experience is not limited and she can write beautiful handwriting.

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"I'm lucky to have walked to the sites of those big trading names of Tibet and the border trading market of Phari when I was there," she says.

The sites have been replaced by new buildings and no trail is visible. The border market was established in April last year. It's a large yard, spacious and orderly. A hostel has also been opened in the yard, one side adjacent to the street.

As Mr. Degyi Como, the hostel manager, says most of the guests are from Bhutan; 20 to 30 Bhutanese guests at most and usually at least one or two each day. There are ten rooms accommodating from two to five people. A suite room with toilet costs 25Yuan per night. During the Ongkor Festival, businessmen from Bhutan exceed 100. They spend US dollars and speak Tibetan. Bhutanese women like wearing clothes with flower patterns while the men like Tibetan clothes. They sell stir-fried millet, carpets, watches and gold rings while they would buy rubber overshoes, thermos bottles and some cheap small home appliances.

Cering Norbu and his family

The journey from Phari to Bhutan only takes a day and a half. Phari marks the geographical division between north and south in Yadong County. Some 46km from Phari, the highway goes down about 1,000 meters. I stepped from winter into a warm and moist world of flowers and greenery-the Yadong Valley.

On the way I passed by road maintenance station No. 45. Two empty sheet iron-roofed houses stood there. English troop built seven such houses in 1935 as post houses but only two are left now. The houses are in good condition to defend heavy rain so they're used as storerooms.

At the beginning of last century, 12 such post houses extended from Chunpi to Gyangze. The Qing dynasty government also set up 19 post houses from Lhasa to Shasima, showing how important and busy the Lhasa-Phari/Yadong trading was.

Sutra streamer pillars by a road in Lower Yadong Township.

Shasima Town

Shasima Town is where the Yadong County government is located. Two rivers from Kangbu--the town of hot springs--and the Phari highlands meet here to form the fast running Yadong River. The name "Yadong" perhaps bears upon this origin as it means in Tibetan "spinning valley and deep valley with rushing water."

A single line of wooden houses alongside the Yadong River, old or new, simple or complex, forms a nice picture colorful in fresh green, dark red or sky-blue. All the windows and eaves are decorated with delicate colorful margins. There must be flowers blooming in the yard and the verandah of the second floor. All rooms are bathed in sunshine through the wide windows. The two oldest streets-back and front-extend in a V-shape lined with busy shops and tranquil tea houses.

Old Horseman

The last time when Cering Norbu went to India was in 1963. He had just sold what he had in stock and was going to buy some goods popular in Tibet when he was told that the China-India border was closing and China would call back all Chinese people who left the country from the Yadong customs. He came back to Shasima with empty hands. Now, when he talks about that setback his eyes are calm and indifferent.

Cering Norbu resides on the old street of Shasima Town. He was born in India, his parents being Gyangze residents. His parents knew each other at work and married before moving to Yadong when Cering Norbu was only three years old. From the age of 18 onwards, Cering Norbu was used to riding the horses of others between Phari and Kalimpong in India.

"It takes eight days to go from Phari to Kalimpong. All the horse caravans unloaded their goods at Kalimpong before buying cloth, rice, sugar, flour, sheet iron, fuel and peanuts. We enjoyed free meals and earned two Indian Rupees per day. No too much danger on the way. It's good that no one encountered wild animals or robbers."

Ruins in Phari

The first residents of 13 families at Shasima have welcomed immigrants such as tradesmen from Kham, Kuomintang officials and people from India, Bhutan and Nepal. The horsemen were from local towns, Kham, Yunnan and so on. Those from Kham were recognized as the most capable because while others can ride 8-10 mules at most, they can ride 12 mules.

I came across the 78-year-old gatekeeper Qamba Tubdain who was horseman from Kham.

At the age of seven, Qamba Tubdain became a slave of one patrician family. He suffered a lot of torture until the age of 21 when he escaped and made a living by farming. Eight years later, he and several friends went for a pilgrimage to Lhasa and India. It took them 70 days to arrive in Lhasa and leave for India. He earned a small amount of money for living, but they failed to reach India due to lack of money. Qamba Tubdain met a man called Enby who hired him.

From 1959 to 1963, Qamba Tubdain took care of 12 mules for Enby at home and in Shasima. Enby was left behind by the KMT and settled down at Katmamling-a small village with 10 families and only 10 km from China's border. As Enby had no boundary residence pass he had to hire Qamba Tubdain to ride on his behalf. The work was mainly to transport daily use commodities to Garyang, a shop owned by an Indian at Shasima.

At the beginning of 1964, the border port was closed. Therefore, Qamba Tubdain was called back to Yadong. He then worked in farming and lumbering. Five years later, he was married and now he has two sons and four grandsons. The government pays him 361 Yuan every month asking him to look after the gate.

Yesterday's Prosperity

"Shasima" developed into a busy town from a small village thanks to its favorable environment and climate and location. Its damp climate grew good grass for horse feed and provided good living conditions. The location is on the way to India from Tibet and attracted horse caravans for business.

Father and daughter in a wooden shelter

Before the border trading was called off at the beginning of 1964, the two streets of Shasima contained many shops and booths. Besides local and other Chinese vendors, there were 46 Indian and 26 Nepalese-owned shops. Before the port was set up in 1962, "The Three No's Policy" was allowed till 1961. It was "no check, no record and no tax." At that time, horse caravans came and went one after another from Phari through Yadong to Chunpi, and shops and hostels flourished all along the way. Every half hour, a shop could be seen ahead selling cigarettes, wine, sweet tea, meals and dim sim. Indians would put bread, cake, pies and cigarettes into a steel box or put peanuts into a basket on their head and follow the horse caravan to sell their offerings.

Now, on one side of Yadong Middle School, the house built in 1936 for the "Britain Business Agency at Yadong" is still kept in good condition. It was vacant till last year when an art teacher moved in. The family renovated the house and hung some art works in the rooms.

The design of this house is quite scientific and with European features. It is surrounded by flower gardens and a white fence about 1 meter high. The triangular roof draws the house towards the sky. The louver fills the room full of sunshine. There is one warm fireplace in the wide sitting room. The kitchen is at the back, with a line of wide windows and one door to the garden. The hill behind the house offers good soil for growing fruit trees.

Reopening of the Port

Yadong is the last town in the southern part of the Tea-Horse Trade Route. Imports and exports ensured the town prospered. However, with the port closure and the trading route cut, it became a desolate spot.

In 1963, the difficult Sino-Indian relationship caused the closing of the port. "Indians were repatriated and all foreign vendors left Shasima. Shasima turned cold and cheerless. It's not until 1965 that hinterland businessmen came again on the hearsay that Yadong port was going to be reopened."

After the closure of the port, Cering Norbu began to make living by farming and lumbering. At first the income was far less than that he earned at a horse caravan, just from hand to mouth. Gradually his income increased and his life became stable.

Today's life to him means sitting in the sunshine, watching his grandsons play games and playing ludo with his old friends. As for the port reopening, Cering Norbu shook his head and said, "I'm too old to have interest in that."

However, not all old guys like Cering Norbu have same idea. The 79-year-old Cewang Yexei, who was cadre of the village Party Committee, is a case in point. He has a shop on the street and has high expectations for the future. He told me: "Reopening of the port will bring changes to my family. Our goods will increase and hence our income. Besides, I want to build an inn to accommodate new guests or vendors from outside world. I also plan to rebuild our old house of more than 50 years."

Zam's Food Grocery is jammed with dazzling goods from floor to ceiling. All the Indian and Nepalese goods were imported from Zam port or bought in Nepal.

The shop owner, Zhaxi, said: "I would not stock goods in India after the port reopening for I have had eight years of dealing with Zam and Nepal. I am familiar with all procedures and deal with trustworthy businessmen. Although imports from India could save money and time I'm not going to tackle this in the short term due to unfamiliarity. "

Lower Yadong Township

There is a Yadong township, upper and lower, in Shasima Town. Go up the hills for about 10kms and Upper Yadong township opens out before your eyes; Lower Yadong is in the opposite direction near the dyke. Upper Yadong is beside a highway that spreads dust over everything when a car passes by. Lower Yadong is very beautiful. It has a thousand-year-old tree and a large waterfall. The temperature is pleasant with seeming fine spring weather all year round.

We found Zhaolma Cering promising to visit her father Dainzin Gyibo who is looking after cows on the mountains. The old man looks so strong and with a straight back that we couldn't believe he is already 78.

Dainzin Gyibo joined the horse caravan when he was 18. His customer is an Indian named Ngayi Zongba. Riding 17 mules with his buddies, Dainzin Gyibo bought Indian goods such as sugar, flour, sheet iron, fuels and peanut and transported from Phari yak tails and bristle.

The Ngayi Zongba horse caravan was the largest among the Indians. The latter usually had about 50 horses, while Ngayi Zongba caravan had more than 2,000 in total, with 400 mules from Lower Yadong and 300 mules from Upper Yadong, and the rest from Kham area.

Before 1963, Dainzin Gyibo was paid 3 rupees per day plus free meals. He rode horses to Kalimpong twice a month. The border closure period was his hardest time. Fortunately, he could get 12.5 kg of rice and 0.5 kg of edible oil every month from the government, which helped his family through the difficulty.

I asked the old man whether he had any plan after the port reopening. He smiled and said, "When the port is reopened, we will see much more materials and better roads. However, I'm too old to plan on it."

NaiduilaPass

NaiduilaPass is a port on the China-India border at an altitude of 4,545 meters. The distance between Shasima and Naiduila Mountain Pass is about 31 km; 35 km further on is Gangtok, capital of Sikkim and 58 km further is Kalimpong of India. Several hundreds km south of Kalimpong comes Kolkata the largest city of India. Therefore, from NaiduilaPass, the distance to Kolkata is the same as that to Lhasa. For this reason the small hill pass had been an important position in economic and military affairs of all ages.

The port was reopened in July. The temporary border bazaar is at Renqing Hillock, 16km from Naiduila Mountain Pass. According to the agreement between the Chinese and Indian governments, the border trading will be open for four months each year from June 1st to September 30th, 10am to 6pm from Monday through Thursday each week.

Both China and India clarified a list of commodities that can be traded. The list stipulated that India could sell 29 types of goods including textiles, carpets, farming tools, wine, cigarettes, tea, barley, rice, plant oil and Indian medicines. Goods from the China side cover 15 types such as horse, goat, sheep, yak tail, goatskin, wool and silk.