Bingdao Village in Shuangjiang County, Lincang

More Picture

OVERVIEW｜A Thousand-Year Tea Village Above the Clouds 🍃☁️

Iceland Village (冰岛村) is not in the Nordic lands, but nestled in the northern part of Mengku Town (勐库镇), Shuangjiang County (双江县), Lincang City (临沧市), Yunnan Province.

Sitting at an altitude of 1,650–1,800 meters, with an average annual temperature of 18°C, mornings here are wrapped in mist while afternoons bathe in bright sunshine.

Known as the birthplace of the Mengku Large-Leaf Tea Variety (勐库大叶种), Iceland Village boasts 57,000 ancient tea trees over 100 years old, including 16,000 trees older than 500 years — making it one of the richest tea villages in Yunnan.

In 2023, the spring Maocha from Iceland’s old tea villages fetched prices of 20,000 to 40,000 RMB per kilogram, remaining a rare treasure for tea lovers.

LOCATION｜Coordinates & Transport 🚗

• Administrative: Iceland Administrative Village, Mengku Town, Shuangjiang Lahu, Wa, Blang and Dai Autonomous County (云南省临沧市双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县勐库镇冰岛行政村)

• Distance:

  • From Shuangjiang County seat: 32 km (40 min by secondary road)

  • From Lincang City: 110 km (2 hours via airport highway + county road)

  • From Kunming: 560 km (3.5 h by high-speed rail to Lincang + car rental)

• Public Transport:

  1. Kunming Changshui Airport → Lincang Airport (50 min) → Airport shuttle or shared car to Mengku Town → Minibus to Iceland Village

  2. Self-drive: Navigate to “Iceland Old Village (冰岛老寨)”, fully paved roads and concrete village lanes, accessible by sedan

ICELAND FIVE｜Explore the Five Natural Villages ❄️🏡

Iceland Administrative Village includes five natural villages, collectively called the “Iceland Five Villages (冰岛五寨)”, separated by a mountain, each with its unique tea flavor:

ATTRACTIONS｜6 Must-Do Experiences 🍵🌿

• Ancient Tea Gardens of Iceland Old Village (冰岛老寨古茶园):
  Home to the 2700-year-old “Tea King Tree (茶王树)”, where visitors can hand-pick buds and leaves, and experience intangible cultural heritage tea processing (kill-green, rolling).

• Cloud Villas Cluster (云端别墅群):
  Every household features three-story Dai-style villas; during tea season, the night lights blend with the Milky Way, dubbed “Mountain CBD” by netizens.

• Iceland Lake (冰岛湖) / Reservoir:
  5 km from the Old Village, witness tea mountains reflected in morning mist; enjoy bamboo rafting and camping.

• Handmade Tea Experience Center (手工制茶体验馆):
  Stone mill pressing and bamboo leaf wrapping, make your own exclusive “Iceland Raw Pu’er Cake” (¥88 each).

• Iceland Tea Banquet (冰岛茶宴):
  Savor tea-infused chicken, tea leaf fried eggs, and ham stewed in tea broth — a feast of “tea flavors.”

• Tea Mountain Stargazing Camp (茶山星空露营):
  At 1800 m with no light pollution, camp beside 50,000 ancient tea trees, under a galaxy within reach.

TICKETS & INFO｜Costs & Practical Details 🎫

• Ancient tea garden: Free (¥20 maintenance fee for protected trees)

• Handmade tea experience: ¥88–120/person (includes fresh tea leaves, expert guidance, take-home 100g cake)

• Tea banquet: ¥120–180/person (reserve 1 day in advance)

• Camping: Bring your own gear, site fee ¥30/tent; tent rental ¥120 (includes mat & sleeping bag)

  

ACCOMMODATION｜Stay Amidst the Tea Hills 🛏️

BEST TIME｜Seasonal Highlights 🌸🌞🍁❄️

• Spring Tea Season (Mar–Apr): Tea trees flush fresh green, tea auctions of “Iceland Tea King” happen

• Summer Cool Retreat (May–Aug): Daytime 25°C, cozy up by fire pits at night watching the Milky Way

• Autumn Photography (Sep–Nov): Golden rice paddies, sea of clouds, red maple trees; photography contests with top prizes ¥10,000

• Winter Sakura (Dec–Feb): Winter cherry blossoms bloom along river valleys, pink seas against snowy mountains

FOOD & SOUVENIRS｜Taste & Take Home 🍽️🎁

• Must-drink: First spring brew of Iceland ancient tree raw Pu’er tea (冰岛古树生普)

• Must-eat: Tea chicken, tea leaf fried egg, claypot ham stewed in tea oil

• Must-buy: Iceland Old Village spring tea cakes (200g), handmade tea soap, ancient tree tea flower honey

ROUTE｜Sample 2-Day Tea Journey Itinerary 🗓️

Day 1

• 09:00 Pick-up from Lincang Airport

• 11:30 Lunch at Iceland Old Village

• 13:00 Tea picking in ancient tea gardens

• 15:00 Handmade tea experience

• 17:30 Sunset at Iceland Lake

• 19:00 Tea banquet & bonfire party

• 21:00 Stargazing camping on tea mountain

Day 2

• 06:30 Sunrise over sea of clouds

• 08:00 Easy hike to Dijie Old Village (地界老寨)

• 11:00 Tea tasting at Tea Garden Inn

• 13:00 Return or continue to Mengku Great Snow Mountain (勐库大雪山)

CALL TO ACTION｜Where the First Sunlight Blesses the 2700-Year-Old Tea King Tree 🌞🍃

You’ll hear every tea leaf’s breath telling the legendary tale of “A Village Made Rich by Tea.”

Save this guide and share it with those you want to climb tea mountains, stay in villas, and count stars with!

See you in 2025 at Iceland Village (冰岛村) — making friends through tea, don’t miss it!