Date & Time: Sunday, September 28th | 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Location: Eastern Leaves Tearoom, via Macedonio Melloni 32, 20129 Milan
Speaker: Mrs. Song Anqi
Tasting Included: Yes, featuring three teas that whisper stories of the past.
Language: English, with oral Italian translation

History is not just made by empires and explorers; it is woven by the countless everyday people whose lives are the true fabric of the past. This seminar offers a rare and intimate window into the human heart of the Tea Horse Road.

Join Anqi for a session dedicated not to dates and maps, but to people. We will share three stories of the individuals who defined this ancient route: the resilient horse drivers who braved the treacherous trails, the families who processed the tea in mountain villages, and the Tibetan communities whose lives were sustained by the arrival of the caravans. This is a tribute to the courage, endurance, and ordinary miracles that happened along the world's most perilous trade route.

The Tea Tasting Experience:
Each story will be paired with a tea that embodies its spirit, allowing us to taste a different chapter of this human history:

• Tea Horse Road Shupu 2006: This tea has been quietly maturing since 2007, much like memories settling into history. Its smooth, earthy depth sets the stage, evoking the well-trodden path itself and the journey that countless individuals shared.
• Horse Driver's Tea (Yiwu 2005, Yang Family): This is the tea they carried. Processed in Yiwu in 2005—the very year of Hu Mingfang's commemorative walk—this pu'er tea from the Yang family is a direct link to the carrier's craft. Taste the authentic, robust character that provided comfort and warmth around a campfire under vast, starry skies.
• Tibetan Dark Tea (1950s): This is the destination. Taste a living artifact. This Tibetan tea, preserved since the 1950s, is the reason for the journey. It is the currency of survival and ceremony, the final destination of the horse drivers' perilous work. Sharing it is a profound act of connection to the lives on the other end of the road.
  

Who Should Attend?
Storytellers, humanists, and tea lovers who seek a deeper, more personal connection to history. This seminar is for those who believe that the most powerful histories are found not in textbooks, but in the objects and flavors that everyday people left behind.

About the seminars, participation options, and discounts:
This event is part of a symposium held in Milan (27-28/9/2025) and the Netherlands (11-12/10/2025), to celebrate the Ancient Tea Horse Road (茶马古道), now recognized as a pivotal tea trading hub between ancient China and border countries. Its role in making Chinese tea beloved and coveted throughout the East was a great source of inspiration for Vivian Zhang's new project: The Chinese Tea Culture Foundation.
The theme of all the events revolves around this single cornerstone, and each speaker will bring their own experience and perspective to explore the various facets of this historic route. 

You can decide to join one or more events:
- by joining two or three events, you'll enjoy a 5% discount on the total amount
- by joining all 4 events, you can enjoy a 10% discount
- our Xiaoye and Daye alumni can enjoy an additional 10% discount by adding the code ALUMNI at checkout

All events are held live, and seats are limited: join us soon to avoid missing your chance!