Within the tidy remnants of a former ‘Tea and Horse Trade Office’ in Mingshan County, near Ya’an in Sichuan, Jamyan and I wandered for 25 bizarre and wondrous minutes. As we made our way in to the horse dung and incense-tainted world, it was as though everything briefly became another world. It was here to this ‘office’ that horses that came from Tibet would be brought, traded (and taxed), bought and sold. This office was despised in the past as tax offices are despised everywhere but played host to thousands of horses a year in its time.
Now it played host to three ancient women who showed up daily to sweep the floors, play mahjong, and chat over tea. When we arrived we were told to pay an admittance fee, though it seemed that it was up to us whether we did or didn’t. We did and walked ourselves through the damp and dark spaces that had seen so much life of the Tea Horse Road. This portrait was taken just as we left, and as much as I didn’t want to disturb the three elders, I couldn’t help but ask. The whole place felt lonely and forgotten and so did the ladies. I expected a rejection from her when I asked, but she just nodded and that was it. As we left the decaying little remnant of trade from another time, one of the ladies said “Thanks for coming”.
About JeffFuchs
Having lived for a decade in Yunnan, Fuchs’ work has centred on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories along with an obsessive interest in tea.
Fuchs is the author of 'The Ancient Tea Horse Road' (Viking-Penguin) and he was the subject of 'The Tea Explorer' documentary based on his exploration of the Tea Horse Road.
His photos and stories have appeared on three continents in publications such as Kyoto Journal, TRVL, and Outpost Magazine, as well as The Spanish Expedition Society, The Earth, Silkroad Foundation, The China Post Newspaper, The Toronto Star, The South China Morning Post, and UNESCO amongst others. Various pieces of his work are part of private collections in Europe, North America, and Asia. Fuchs served as Asian Editor at Large for five years at award-winning Outpost magazine.
Jeff has worked with schools and universities, giving talks on both the importance of oral traditions, tea and mountain cultures.
His recently released book ‘The Ancient Tea Horse Road’ (Penguin-Viking Publishers) details his 8-month groundbreaking journey traveling and chronicling one of the world’s great trade routes, The Tea Horse Road. Fuchs is the first westerner to have completed the entire route stretching almost six thousand kilometers through the Himalayas a dozen cultures.
Fuchs partnered with Wild China to create a journey along the Tea Horse Road which National Geographic Traveler called one of the "50 Trips of a Lifetime".
He is co-founder of Akahiao Nature Institute on the island of Hawai'i along with his wife, Julie Rogers.
