Dijie Village of Bingdao Village (Xibanshan Mountain) in Mengku Town, Lincang

Chinese Name: 勐库西半山：地界村
English Name: Dijie Village of Bingdao Village (Xibanshan Mountain) in Mengku Town, Lincang

Overview

Dijie Laozhai Village (地界老寨), located in the administrative area of Bingdao Village, Mengku Town, is a Lahu ethnic village. Originally, there were 60 families in Dijie Laozhai. Due to its remote location and proximity to forests, the entire village was relocated to the highway by Shuangjiang County in 2004. However, by 2007, over 10 Lahu families had returned to the old village. Today, the old village has around 50 to 60 acres of ancient tea gardens. The Lahu people harvest more than 1,000 kilograms of fresh tea leaves annually, selling them to tea merchants in nearby villages.

Location

Dijie Village is part of the Bingdao Administrative Village (冰岛行政村) in Mengku Town, Lincang City. It is the administrative center of the village and is currently developing its large-leaf tea industry, with plans to further promote tea and walnut cultivation.

Situated among the five villages of Bingdao, Dijie is the closest to Bingdao Old Village. Walking from Dijie Laozhai’s ancient tea gardens to Bingdao Old Village takes only about 20 minutes. The village has 64 households with a total population of 278, all Lahu people.

To the west of Dijie is “Yanfeng Mountain” (岩蜂山), known as “Bieha” in Lahu, meaning “place with rock bee nests,” with an elevation of 2,100 meters. To the north is “Long Forest” (竜树林), called “Gewa” by the Lahu, meaning “forest where deities reside,” with an elevation of 2,600 meters. This is the closest ridge to Bingdao Old Village. Between the two ridges flows the “Yanfeng River” (岩峰河), which heads southeast into the Nanmeng River.

Dijie Village, located on the ridge of the Daxue Mountain range, has earned the reputation of a “boundary” village, featuring the unique characteristic of “one place, three boundaries”: the western boundary leads to Gengma County, the northern boundary reaches Linxiang District, while the village itself lies within Shuangjiang County’s jurisdiction.

Tea Characteristics

• Tea Trees: Dijie Old Village boasts over 3,000 ancient tea trees with more than 300 years of age.
• Appearance: The tea strips are robust, even, and elegant, with white buds and dark leaves.
• Aroma: The tea has a persistent, floral-fruity fragrance.
• Liquor Color: The tea soup is bright, golden, and translucent.
• Flavor: The taste is rich and smooth, with a pronounced sweet and long-lasting aftertaste. It has a cool, refreshing throat sensation and a full, creamy texture.
• Leaf Quality: The tea leaves are flexible, fresh, long-ovate, and thick, displaying uniformity and vitality.

The tea from Dijie Village is known for its deep, complex aroma, which is described as wild and fruit-like. The flavor profile includes subtle bitterness and astringency, but it quickly transitions to sweetness with a powerful, enduring aftertaste. The tea is well-rounded, with a satisfying, rich, and smooth mouthfeel, making it a premium choice among teas.