The Wanli Tea Road is another important international trade route on the Eurasian continent after the ancient Silk Road. In 2012, the application for World Heritage of the Wanli Tea Ceremony was officially launched. In 2019, the National Cutural Heritage Administration included the Wanli Tea Ceremony in the Preparatory List of China's World Cultural Heritage. Recently, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology announced the discovery of new tea ceremony heritage sites and routes during the archaeological investigation of the Wanli Tea Ceremony. What international exchange role did the Wanli Tea Ceremony play in Chinese history? Why is it said that the Wanli Tea Road is not only a commercial trade channel, but also an important bridge for cultural and cultural exchanges and interactions between the north and south of China, and even between the East and the West of the world? Sun Jinsong, the director and curator of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, recently gave a detailed interpretation in an interview. The summary of the interview transcript is as follows: Reporter: What international exchange role does the Wanli Tea Ceremony play in Chinese history? Sun Jinsong: The Wanli Tea Road was another important international trade route on the Eurasian continent from the late 17th century to the early 20th century, following the ancient Silk Road, spanning across present-day China, Mongolia, and Russia, with a total length of approximately 14000 kilometers. The ten thousand mile tea ceremony starts from Mount Wuyi in Fujian Province in the south and extends to St. Petersburg in Russia. In history, Wanli Tea Road was a mixed water and land transportation route mainly engaged in tea trade between various tea producing areas in southern China and the Mongolian Plateau, Siberia, and Eastern European Plain. It not only integrates the markets of North and South China, promoting economic exchanges between the two regions and the formation of a large domestic market, but also becomes an important link for communication, exchange, and integration among various ethnic groups. On June 25, 2025, tourists visited the Zou Family Temple in Xiamei Village, Mount Wuyi City, Fujian Province. In recent years, the local area has created a tea culture tourism destination with the theme of the Ten Thousand Miles Tea Ceremony. Photo by Zhang Bin, China News Service reporter: Why are there multiple routes leading to Kulun for the Wanli Tea Road? Sun Jinsong: In the past three years, the Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has conducted a systematic archaeological survey of the Wanli Tea Road related sites and routes within Inner Mongolia, mainly investigating and sorting out seven main routes of the Wanli Tea Road. Firstly, the well-known Zhangku Avenue refers to the ancient commercial route from Zhangjiakou to Kuren (now Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) and extending to Chaktu. We investigated three Zhangku Avenue routes within Inner Mongolia, all of which entered Inner Mongolia from Hebei and extended from different directions to Erenhot, passing through Erenhot and entering present-day Mongolia, leading to Kulun. There are many important transportation nodes and heritage sites along Zhangku Avenue, such as Duolun, known as the "capital of Mongolian merchants", which developed due to commercial trade. Duolun County still preserves many historical and cultural heritages related to tea trade, such as Duolun Huizong Temple, Shanxi Guild Hall, Xilinhot Beizi Temple, which have witnessed the prosperity of commerce and trade on Zhangku Avenue. In addition, there are four routes, including Altai Military Post Road, Princess Road, Suixin Tuodao Middle Road, and Guihua City Dingyuanying Kulun Line, all of which depart from Guihua City/Suiyuan City (now Hohhot City) and enter present-day Mongolia from Ulanqab and Alxa respectively, leading to Kulun. Guihua City is the most important node city on the Wanli Tea Road in Inner Mongolia. From its establishment in the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, it has always been a local trade center, important commodity distribution center, and cargo transfer station. The cultural heritage sites of Dazhao, Mosque, God of Wealth Temple, and Dashengkui in Hohhot today are all related to the prosperous commerce and trade of Guihua City in the past. Overall, the Wanli Tea Road is not just a "road", but a "network" that includes trade, culture, and transportation networks. With tea as the main body, it has derived multidimensional social functions. On the one hand, the industrial chain surrounding tea production, transportation, trade, and consumption has not only spawned various service industries related to tea transportation and sales, but also transported and sold fabrics, grains, handicrafts from the mainland, livestock products, fur, medicinal herbs from the north, and industrial products from Europe in the tea ceremony. On the other hand, the Wanli Tea Ceremony spread the customs, beliefs, rituals, cultural arts, and ideological concepts of southern and central China to the north and Russia, as well as the customs and culture of Russia and the Mongolian Plateau to central and southern China. On May 19, 2020, the Wanli Tea Ceremony Research and Experience Base in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia was unveiled. The picture shows the staff of the base showcasing tea culture to the audience. Reporter Zhang Wei from China News Service: What cultural exchanges and interactions have different ethnic groups, regions, and countries conducted through the Wanli Tea Ceremony? Sun Jinsong: Relying on the Wanli tea ceremony, merchants sell Chinese tea, cloth, silk, gold, silver, jewelry, grain and groceries to modern Mongolia and Russia, and then transport local specialties such as livestock, fur, medicinal materials, perfume and so on back to all parts of China along the line. Trade exchanges promote the economic and social development of villages and towns along the Wanli tea ceremony. For tea farmers in southern mountainous areas, tea is a specialty that is exchanged for food and daily necessities; For northern nomadic tribes, tea is an essential means of livelihood. After the Tang Dynasty, southern tea gradually became an indispensable beverage for ethnic minorities in the northwest, such as brick tea pressed with Anhua and Yangloudong black tea, which was once a hard currency that could be used as currency on the grasslands. Tea is a medium for communication, exchange, and integration among various ethnic groups in the north and south. Tea trade enhances mutual understanding and trust, strengthens mutual recognition and cohesion among different ethnic groups. The Wanli Tea Ceremony is not only a commercial and trade channel, but also an important bridge for cultural and cultural exchanges and interactions between the mainland and northern Xinjiang, as well as between the East and the West. Different ethnic groups, regions, and countries engage in cultural exchange and interaction through the Wanli Tea Ceremony. Tea was introduced to countries such as the Netherlands, England, and Russia as early as the Ming Dynasty, and was loved by Western royal families and nobles. In the 18th century, a large amount of tea was imported into Europe, and drinking tea gradually became a Western way of life. At the same time, European industrial products such as steam engines and tea making equipment were introduced to China through the tea ceremony. Reporter: As one of the important relay stations for the Wanli tea ceremony, what key roles did Inner Mongolia play in history? Sun Jinsong: Inner Mongolia is an important node of the Wanli tea ceremony, serving as a gateway connecting nine provinces internally and Mongolia and Russia externally, and playing the role of a "distribution center". From the perspective of archaeological research, it is difficult to restore things from that time, but we can see the demand for them through modern trade. For example, when merchants go out or come back with supplies other than tea, following a single route can lead to limited sales. Inner Mongolia has a vast territory, with different specialties from the central, eastern, and western regions. Merchants choose different routes here to diversify the goods they bring back, and through diversion, they can fully guarantee the food, accommodation, and transportation of their caravans. Therefore, it is very normal and reasonable for merchants traveling north to have multiple routes in Inner Mongolia. The tea roads, commodities, transportation, and commercial activities in Inner Mongolia have ethnic characteristics. The economic complementarity brought about by ethnic trade activities, as well as the adjustment and integration of different ethnic societies and cultures, make Inner Mongolia an economic, cultural, and social channel for multi-ethnic exchanges. Reporter: Why is it said that the Wanli Tea Road is not only a commercial trade channel, but also an important bridge for cultural and civilizational exchanges and interactions between the north and south of China, and even between the East and the West of the world? Sun Jinsong: Tea connects the continents of Asia and Europe, opening up a path of tea trade and cultural exchange around the world. In the 17th century, tea was introduced to Russia, and by the 18th century, the trend of drinking tea had spread to all social classes in Europe and Russia, making tea a necessity for residents' daily lives. Russians add sugar, lemon, milk, milk skin, vanilla and other additives to their tea, forming a unique Russian tea culture. Tea culture gradually integrates into Russian literature, art, etiquette and life, greatly enhancing people's cultural and lifestyle taste. The achievements of European industrial civilization were also introduced to China through the thousands of miles of tea ceremony, achieving the goal of mutual exchange between the East and the West. As a typical representative of traditional Chinese culture, tea culture embodies not only the connotation of tea and tea ceremony, but also the value concept of "harmony is precious" interpreted by the ancient road of tea ceremony spanning thousands of miles. (Xinhua News Agency) Interviewee Profile: Sun Jinsong, Dean and Second level Researcher of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Doctoral Supervisor, Director of the Chinese Archaeological Society, graduated from the Archaeology Department of Northwest University in 2003, holds a Master's degree in Archaeology from Jilin University, and a PhD in Science and Technology Archaeology from Inner Mongolia Normal University. National national unity and progress model individual, enjoying the special allowance of the State Council, member of the National Cutural Heritage Administration Cultural Relics Protection Project Expert Group, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Protection Expert Group, national archaeological individual leader, national cultural relics protection planning responsibility division, and young top talent of the Ministry of Culture. I have presided over more than 40 large-scale archaeological excavations and more than 10 cultural relic protection plans and cultural relic impact assessments. I have authored nearly ten academic papers and participated in multiple sub projects of the National Social Science Fund Western Project, National Social Science Fund Youth Project, and National Social Science Fund Major Project.