Bathed in spring breezes and infused with the aroma of Tea, a single leaf reveals the vastness of the world. It's the perfect balance between temperature and vegetation that makes Lincang a prime tea-producing region along the golden latitude. Blessed by nature's waters, rains, and sunlight, Lincang tea retains its original vitality through the ages.

Today, our editor will take you on a journey to

the autonomous county of Shuangjiang, home to the Lahu, Va, Bulang, and Dai ethnic groups,

to “taste” one of Lincang's finest teas—the Bingdao tea.

The most famous product of Shuangjiang, the autonomous county of the Lahu, Va, Bulang, and Dai ethnic groups, is large-leaf tea. The village of Bingdao in Mengku Town is an important origin of this variety, and during the era of local rulers, Bingdao tea was exclusively reserved for the Dai chieftains. Bingdao Village is located in the northern mountainous area of Shuangjiang County, 44 kilometers from the county seat—a journey of over an hour by car. It comprises five villages—Bingdao, Nuwu, Dijie, Nanpo, and Bawai—locally known as the “Five Villages of Bingdao.” All five villages produce tea, with Bingdao Old Village being the most renowned. Bingdao tea is known for its honey-yellow infusion, long-lasting flavor, and gentle aroma. According to tea experts, the aroma of Bingdao tea complements the tea liquor, lingering subtly yet persistently. It has a delicate floral and fruity fragrance, leaving a pleasant aftertaste in the mouth.

In today's Bingdao Village, every household grows, dries, and processes tea. Tea has become an essential carrier of village culture. Bingdao Old Village is a natural village inhabited by the Lahu, Dai, and Han people, with the Dai name meaning “a place covered with moss.” The village has an average elevation of 1,519 meters, with annual rainfall of about 1,800 millimeters. It is situated in the intermediate belt of low-latitude mountain monsoon climate. The village is surrounded by high mountains, clear water, and lush forests, often shrouded in morning mist and blessed with ample sunlight at noon. The excellent tea variety, suitable altitude, ideal soil composition, superior growing conditions, and centuries of cultivation history endow Bingdao tea with unparalleled quality and unique charm, making it a precious biological resource and a cultural landscape of tea.

“High mountains and misty clouds produce fine tea.” When spring arrives, after a winter's accumulation, Bingdao tea enters a crucial growth period under the spring breeze and abundant sunlight. At this time, the tea leaves are plump and bright green, full of tea essence and rich aroma. They taste slightly bitter at first but then turn sweet. For tea farmers, this is a promising harvest; for tea connoisseurs, it's a moment to savor the passage of time and enjoy the lingering flavors. A small tea leaf is both a daily necessity and a refined spiritual pleasure…

Spring brings new life to the villages around Shuangjiang Mengku, where the scenery is lush and fragrant with tea. The season for picking fresh leaves has arrived. Decades-old, even century-old tea trees sprout new shoots, like waves of green swaying in the wind. Tea farmers, wearing straw hats and carrying bamboo baskets, prepare fully for the harvest. They venture into the tea mountains in groups, basking in the morning light, picking fresh leaves together and enjoying the joy of labor. Walking along the winding paths through the hills, surrounded by lush vegetation and ancient tea trees, the scene is tranquil and serene, painting a beautiful picture of “people walking among the tea, living in harmony with it.”

In the small village of Bingdao, during tea-picking season, everyone is busy: tea pickers gather fresh leaves, while tea makers' freshly processed tea emits a delightful fragrance, invigorating the senses. Merchants from all over arrive, filled with anticipation, ready to secure the best tea. Tea has brought this somewhat remote southwestern village into the public eye.

Editor's Note

Through continuous propagation and development, Shuangjiang Mengku large-leaf tea now includes over 36,500 mu (approximately 2,433 acres) of cultivated ancient tea trees over a century old. The tea industry has become a vital pillar of the local economy. The tea gardens are managed ecologically, without pesticides or fertilizers, and excessive picking is prohibited. The city has designated 59 areas covering 8,000 mu (approximately 533 acres) as protected ancient tea tree resources, and 13,600 Bingdao ancient tea trees have been registered and protected under a “one tree, one code” system. An additional 47 areas covering 28,500 mu (approximately 1,900 acres) are pending designation as protected ancient tea tree resources. Bingdao tea is hailed by the tea industry as a “living fossil” of domesticated and scaled-up tea cultivation. It is the only tea product from Shuangjiang to have won a special gold award at tea expos and is known as the “Queen” of Shuangjiang Mengku large-leaf tea.

Reporter: Luo Yan

Contributor: Yan Xingyong