Primitive and niche Tea-Horse Ancient Road town, Na Ke Li

The only thousand-year-old post station is Na Ke Li, and the myriad flavors of the world are best represented by Pu'er tea. "Na Ke Li" is a Dai language term, meaning fertile land and picturesque scenery. According to the "Pu'er Prefecture Chronicles", during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pu'er Prefecture was the starting point of five Tea-Horse Ancient Roads: the Northeast Guanma Avenue, the Northwest Guancang Tea-Horse Ancient Road, the Southeast Jianglai Tea-Horse Ancient Road, the Southwest Dry Season Tea-Horse Ancient Road, and the South Mengla Tea-Horse Ancient Road. Na Ke Li is the first station on the South Mengla Tea-Horse Ancient Road. The quaint town lacks the strong commercial atmosphere of Lijiang. Clear streams meander through the village, flowing past the doors of closely packed small shops. The Tea-Horse Ancient Road ruins, Horse Jumping Stone, Heart-Connecting Bridge... the air is filled with the fragrance of Pu'er tea and a strong sense of nostalgia. Walking along the bluestone road, searching for the faintly visible hoof prints, one can find the ancient Rongfa Horse Inn. The couplet at the entrance reads, "Who is the master beyond the mountains, we meet by chance and I host," full of the unrestrained and bold character of the horsemen. Inside the inn, there are stone water tanks, oil lamps, and stone chessboards, as if taking people back to the long years of neighing horses and ringing camel bells. As people age, they tend to prefer places with fewer people. Focusing on the sunrise and sunset, the blooming and withering of flowers, the rolling clouds, solitude becomes the ultimate destination.