STORY: Centuries-old tea road regains glory as Belt and Road cooperation deepens
DATELINE: Oct. 2, 2023
LENGTH: 00:05:07
LOCATION: FUZHOU, China/ST. PETERSBURG, Russia
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP (Russian): MARIA ALEKSEEVA, Xinhua reporter
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZOU YINGWEN, Inheritor of Wuyi Mountains tea-making crafts
3. STANDUP (Russian): MARIA ALEKSEEVA, Xinhua reporter
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): HUANG BOQUAN, Dean of School of History and Culture, Hubei University
5. STANDUP (Russian): MARIA ALEKSEEVA, Xinhua reporter
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): TIAN JIAN, Director of Shanxi merchants research institute in Qixian County
7. SOUNDBITE (Russia): SERGEY KALASHNIKOV, Chairman of Russian Association for International Cooperation

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (Russian): MARIA ALEKSEEVA, Xinhua reporter
"As the famous ancient Chinese philosopher Zhu Xi said in his poem, 'Sipping tea clears the mind, and refreshes the spirit.' We Russians also say, 'Drinking tea can live a long life.'
I don't know whether the saying is true, but this beverage that originated in the East is indeed one of our favorites. To explore the connection between Russia and tea, we must start from a small village in south China."

Nestled in the picturesque Wuyi Mountains in southeast China's Fujian Province, Xiamei Village was the starting point of an ancient tea road.

The 13,000-km-long trade artery linked the millennia-old village with Russia's St. Petersburg during the Qing Dynasty.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZOU YINGWEN, Inheritor of Wuyi Mountains tea-making crafts
"During the Qing Dynasty, all the tea leaves (from the Wuyi Mountains) were processed in Xiamei Village. Russians had a significant demand for Chinese tea at that time. Therefore, the merchants from north China's Shanxi with a keen business sense came here to find tea supply and collaborated with our ancestors."

Due to booming China-Russia tea trade, the lengthy tea road took shape.

STANDUP (Russian): MARIA ALEKSEEVA, Xinhua reporter
"In the history of the ancient tea road, there was a place known as the 'Oriental Tea Port,' and that was Hankou. Due to its geographical advantages with convenient transport, Hankou became the largest distribution center along the ancient tea road."

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): HUANG BOQUAN, Dean of School of History and Culture, Hubei University
"By the late 19th century, tea exports from Hankou accounted for over 60 percent of China's total tea exports, so it became a veritable 'Oriental Tea Port.'"

STANDUP (Russian): MARIA ALEKSEEVA, Xinhua reporter
"When we talk about the ancient tea road, I've noticed that Shanxi merchants can't be ignored, and most of them came from a small county called Qixian. What puzzles me is that their hometown didn't produce tea and is located inland, however, they were envoys along the tea road between China and Russia. I have come here to seek an answer."

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): TIAN JIAN, Director of Shanxi merchants research institute in Qixian County
"Ever since Russians began drinking tea, they have become fond of it and cannot live without it. Shanxi merchants specifically tailored tea leaves to suit the taste of Russians. The Russians liked to do business with Shanxi merchants and they maintained good relations during trades."

However, by the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the tea road was gradually forgotten due to war, the rise of railway and sea transportation.

Today, deeper cooperation via the Belt and Road Initiative is revitalizing this old trade road, as China, Russia and Mongolia further tap into the potential of their economic and cultural links through this existing channel.

The ancient tea road now boasts developed air, road and railway transportation networks, serving once again as a road to common prosperity.

SOUNDBITE (Russia): SERGEY KALASHNIKOV, Chairman of Russian Association for International Cooperation
"Tea has proven to be a unique product. On one hand, it has satisfied people's daily needs for beverages and partly replaced drinks like Kvass, beer, and home-brewed alcohol. On the other hand, it's more available in Russia compared to other European countries, solidifying its presence in Russian culture.

The tea road once facilitated the spread of the Eastern cultures, including Chinese ones, to the West. In other words, it stood as a crucial bridge between the East and the West, with tea as its carrier."

SOUNDBITE (Russia): SERGEY KALASHNIKOV, Chairman of Russian Association for International Cooperation
"I think that the ancient tea road is the cultural veins of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). (Its historical value) has great significance in jointly building the BRI."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Fuzhou and St. Petersburg.
(XHTV)