Bingdao (Ice Island)

Bingdao ("Ice Island") is a small village in Mengku Township, Shuangjiang County, Lincang. Bingdao Lao Zhai (the original Old Village) sits at 1,640 m; the surrounding tea mountains reach over 2,000 m. The ancient Gushu trees here — many 100–300+ years old — are grown in untouched high-altitude forest and produce a raw pu-erh of thick mineral-rich liquor and a famously cooling huigan ("returning sweetness"). The hype only really took off around 2005; today authentic Bingdao Lao Zhai gushu is among the most expensive raw pu-erh per gram on earth.