Unfurling across the landscape of southwest China for more than 1,400 miles, Tea-Horse Road is one of the oldest trade routes in the world. From the legendary tea-producing town of Pu’er in the south of Yunnan province, the trail leads north over mountain passes and wide valleys, crossing rivers and streams and passing through rural communities before skirting the edge of Sichuan on the long journey to the Tibetan Plateau.
Intrepid travellers can recreate a significant part of that epic journey complete with the creature comforts of modern travel thanks to LUX* Tea Horse Road China, a growing collection of boutique hotels and guesthouses scattered along the route.
This month sees the opening LUX* Stone Town, perched on a clifftop above terraced fields and a curving bend of the Jinsha River. This follows three other openings this year: LUX* Sangushui is set amid a forested valley where waterfalls and willow trees surround riverside trails; LUX* Daju Village provides views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and a gateway to the evocatively named Tiger Leaping Gorge; and to the south, LUX* Peach Valley is surrounded by orchards that cover the landscape with bright pink blossom each spring.
All four of the new retreats were designed by interior designer Li Zhong, based in nearby Kunming, who has taken inspiration from the natural landscape to create well-appointed havens that reflect the dramatic surroundings.
Guests staying at each of these retreats, or the two original properties – LUX* Tea Horse Road Lijiang, situated in the Lijiang’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, and LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan – have front row seats to some of the most spectacular and unspoiled landscapes in China, and access to local towns and communities rarely visited by tourists. The LUX* team can help plan a bespoke journey along Tea Horse Road, from two nights to two weeks, travelling between the hotels in a private car and staying at selected properties based on personal interests, from cultural immersion to active experiences.
Two further hotels will open in 2021: one in the ancient walled city of Dali and one in the deep south of Yunnan in Pu’er, extending the Tea Horse Road possibilities all the way to the source of this legendary route.