Tea Road to the Skies

The journey begins in the rainforests of southwest China where the green tea is to be harvested and the caravan equipped. Harvest time is also a time for celebration. Finally, the tea is pressed into hard cakes and packed to cope with the long journey. The caravan is ready for the 400 km long journey.

On its way to Tibet, the caravan passes remote villages. Nature is breathtaking but also demanding. Horse riders must parry the weather and the changing terrain. You reach Shangri-la where Buddhism is strong. We see shamans and llamas performing ceremonies.

It is only now, on the roof of the world, in the nakedness of the Tibetan plateau, that we observe how these adventurers survive the challenges imposed by this long and difficult road. We taste their meals prepared over bonfires with what is available, visit their caravanserais and share their rest in the open air. From the subtropical south, it is a journey of twelve long months: six to reach our goal Lhasa, and six to return.