A five-day expo featuring Shanxi merchants' tea culture opened in Taiyuan on Jan 5, with more than 700 tea-related relics on display.

The exhibits, on loan from a tea culture enthusiast in Shanxi, covered 30 varieties of tea from some 200 time-honored tea houses operated by Shanxi merchants and tea containers of various materials, such as porcelain, pottery, bamboo ware, lacquer ware and leather containers.

The expo, which was hosted by the Shanxi Tea Culture Society, Shanxi Merchants Research Institute of Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, and the Museum of Shanxi Merchants' Tea Shops, focused on demonstrating the latest research achievements of the China-Russia Tea Road and historical relics related to the road and Shanxi merchants.

The ancient China-Russia Tea Road, which first rose to prominence in the 17th century, is another vital international trade route similar to the Silk Road, connecting China and western countries through trade and cultural communication.

Shanxi merchants active during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) through to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) have played a vital role in pioneering and extending the 13,000-kilometer land route, crossing more than 200 cities in China, Mongolia, Russia and beyond.

The event is of great importance for China's application to get its section of the ancient Tea Road designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, and will help boost travel routes related to Shanxi merchants' tea culture and the Tea Road.

Tea containers made from various materials including porcelain, pottery, bamboo ware, lacquer ware, and leather containers, on display at an expo featuring Shanxi merchants' tea culture in Taiyuan on Jan 5. The expo was held from Jan 5 to 9. [Photo/sxrb.com]

Visitors view tea-related relics at an expo featuring Shanxi merchants' tea culture in Taiyuan on Jan 5. [Photo/sxrb.com]