A series of activity based on the theme of "Yunnan Pu'er Tea Enters Beijing" were held in Beijing's Yunnan Building, according to the People's Daily newspaper.

Yunnan province is known as the hometown of Chinese tea and is one of the world's biggest tea production areas.

Chen Zhiguo, an official from the Yunnan Provincial Government pointed out that Pu'er tea is the most special among Chinese teas.

"The function of Pu'er tea in healthcare and art has become more obvious," said Chen. The Pu'er tea industry is expected to become the primary industry in Yunnan's efforts to further the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the event's sponsor, the activity included five parts consisting of Ancient Tea Horse Road, Tea Ancestor, Tea Spirit, Tea Life and Tea Industry Innovation. Mu Ji, director of the Ancient Tea Horse Road Institution, introduced the history of the ancient tea horse road during the activity.

Pu'er is steeped in history relating to the cultivation of tea and is the starting point of the Ancient Tea Horse Roads.

Five ancient tea trading routes extend far and wide from Pu'er, attesting to its heritage. One route stretched through Kunming to the imperial city of Beijing, one through northwestern Yunnan province and Tibet to countries including Nepal, one through Vietnam and Hong Kong to Europe, one is through Menglian County to Myanmar and India and another through Mengla County to Laos and the Indochina Peninsula. The routes have been hailed as "the fortune corridors transmitting Chinese civilization in southwestern China".

Edited by Jacob Hooson