This paper presents the main elements in the life of the beifu 背夫 (“bearer”), tea carriers who for 250 years delivered immense volumes of tea from the Chinese border counties in Sichuan province to the Tibetan market town of Dartsedo དར་རྩེ་མདོ་ (Dajianlu 打箭爐, Kangding 康定) in easternmost Kham. It looks at the human factors of a transportation system that was created to shift more than 13,000,000 jin 斤 (7,200,000 kg) of tea annually, all on foot as remorseless labour.
As a group, the tea porters comprised a unique body of men (and sometimes women and children) who endured great hardships as they made their way westward. Once beyond the barrier range that historically separated China from the geographically and ethnically complex zones on the far side, they felt vulnerable and powerless. For them, the summum bonum was to arrive safely in Dartsedo, deposit their crushing loads of tea, receive payment, and return as quickly as possible to the familiarity of the home counties. The hardships, insecurity and isolation of these Han Chinese carriers in Tibetan areas encouraged them to head back eastward posthaste.