An old friend of mine from Kunming is involved in a project that is recreating the old Southern Silk Route in Yunnan province. The project involves a caravan of yaks, horsemen, and many ethnic minorities following the old trail from Xishuangbanna up through Zhongdian and into Tibet, promoting their various brands of teas. But it is more than a mere marketing ploy. The caravan has raised over US$100,000 to build schools in the very poor regions through which they have traveled, mostly through auctions of the tea, some of which is rare and treasured. And they throw huge parties along the way. For more information about the caravan and some great pictures, visit my friend’s blog here.
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