How did tea work as money on the Tea Horse Road?Tea was very special in Tibet. people pressed tea like bricks. They were called "tea bricks". It was easy to pack. In medieval Tibet, these bricks were used as money. people used to give them to buy goods. It was a kind of old money. That's why tea was the lifeblood of this route.How did the Tea Horse Road change Yunnan?Yunnan was a mountainous region. There was not much development there before. The Tea Horse Road changed it. New things came through this route. people learned new techniques. Contact with the outside world increased. Yunnan's tea trade grew rapidly. Tea cultivation increased. people started making more tea. In this way, Yunnan started progressing. All this happened because of the Tea Horse Road.When and why did the Tea Horse Road end?The Tea Horse Road gradually closed down. This happened after 1949. That year the People's Republic of china was formed in China. The new China built roads. The old routes ended. New land rules were made. Earlier people used to carry heavy goods on their backs. They were called "porters". But now their need has decreased. Goods started moving easily through the new roads. That is why the use of Tea Horse Road stopped.How is the Tea Horse Road remembered today?China wants to save this route today. They are promoting it for tourism. Lijiang is a special city. It was on the Tea Horse Road. In 1997 UNESCO made it a World heritage Site. This city is famous for its culture and old buildings. Trade took place here for hundreds of years. people still come to see it. In this way the memories of the Tea Horse Road are alive.
