春茶
The main crop and the one that sets Bingdao prices.
冰岛冰島
Bingdao
Dai village in north Mengku (Shuangjiang). Its Laozhai old-tree sheng is the most expensive single-village pu'er; a national GI since 2025 covers only the Laozhai hamlet.
- Level
- Village
- Within
- Yunnan › Lincang › Shuangjiang › Mengku
At a glance#
- Output
- Dry maocha, whole Bingdao administrative village (village committee data, average 41.7 kg/mu). Laozhai core spring output is about 8 t.
Where it lies#
Tea places nearby, plotted by their coordinates. Only physical positions are shown, no boundaries.
2312 places shown Across the view · 909 km
55 places shown Across the view · 252 km
Altitude#
Garden elevations here and in neighbouring places, as sourced.
Picking calendar#
雨水茶
Mostly not picked in Laozhai, per a 2026 account.
谷花茶
Second in importance after spring.
Terroir#
- Soil
- Red soil (红壤), depth at least 150 cm, organic matter at least 1.5%, pH 4.5-5.5 (GI requirement).
- Slope and light
- Old gardens sit mid-slope on the northern Bangma range. Laozhai is described as the highest Dai village in Mengku.
Cultivation#
- Cultivars grown
- Mengku large-leaf
- Landraces
- Seedling Mengku large-leaf. Bingdao is described as the cradle of the landrace.
- Plant age
- Laozhai: 24,232 trees over 100 years old, 4,954 over 500 (count cited in 2021). Whole village: 57,022 over 100 years, 10,857 over 500 (village committee data, 2025).
- Practice
- GI rules specify green-manure intercropping (e.g. radish, legumes) and cultivation and fertility management.
Local words#
| Local words | Dialect | |
|---|---|---|
| 扁岛 / 丙岛 Biǎndǎo / Bǐngdǎo (Mandarin readings of the Chinese transcription) | Dai | Chinese-character renderings of the Dai village name. The sources do not give the meaning. |
People#
- Dai 傣族
- Laozhai is a Dai village, described as the highest Dai settlement in Mengku.
Market#
- Trading towns
- Mengku
- Output
- Dry maocha, whole Bingdao administrative village (village committee data, average 41.7 kg/mu). Laozhai core spring output is about 8 t.
- Prices of teas claiming this origin
- Laozhai old-tree maocha, as reported: about 300 yuan/kg in 2010, 800 in 2011, 3,000 in 2012, 8,000 in 2013, over 20,000 in 2014, close to 40,000 in 2017, 40,000-50,000 in 2020 (trader quoted in China Newsweek). Spring 2021: about 45,000 yuan/kg, against about 15,000 for Lao Banzhang. Spring 2025: an industry estimate of 20,000-30,000 yuan/kg, flat on the year (Red Star News). A 2018 trade column gave lower 2017 figures (8,000-16,000 old tree, 2,500-6,000 small tree).
Misnaming to watch for: Hundreds to thousands of tonnes a year are sold as 'Bingdao' against about 8 t of true Laozhai old-tree tea. Tactics include tea from the other four hamlets, from neighbouring villages, or bought elsewhere and finished in Bingdao, and growers' signs hung on small trees. One seller's 'five rings' scheme stretches the name out to villages such as Xiaohusai and Dazhongshan, but traders interviewed say only the five hamlets qualify. Cheap '9.9 yuan for 357 g Bingdao' cakes online cannot be genuine.
History#
- 1485Legend (Ming Chenghua 21): a Dai chieftain has tea seed planted at Bingdao. Accounts differ: the Mengku chieftain Han Tingfa (罕廷发), per 《双江傣族简史》, or the Mengmeng chieftain with about 200 seeds from Yiwu, of which about 150 grew.
- 2004Road reaches the village. Before it, fresh leaf sold for under 1 yuan/kg.
- 2011Shuangjiang begins an annual Bingdao tea fair and auction.
- 2013-08Bingdao village listed in the second batch of China Traditional Villages.
- 2014-04-15A lot called '问鼎冰岛' sells at 120,000 yuan/kg at the Laozhai spring auction.
- 2019Harvest rights to the 'Bingdao tea king' tree sell for 880,000 yuan (990,000 in 2020, 1.66 million in 2021).
- 2020-12-04County announces whole-village relocation of Laozhai; moves begin January 2021.
- 2025-01-23CNIPA preliminary recognition of 'Bingdao Laozhai tea (Bingdao Zhengshan tea)' as a GI product (Announcement 616); reported as approved in April 2025.
Other names and written forms 7#
Chinese variants
- 冰岛老寨Bingdao Laozhai — old village
- 冰岛五寨Bingdao — five villagesThe five hamlets of Bingdao administrative village: Bingdao (Laozhai), Nuowu 糯伍, Dijie 地界, Nanpo 南迫, Bawai 坝歪.
- 扁岛 / 丙岛Biandao / BingdaoTranscriptions of the Dai name.
- 冰岛老寨茶（冰岛正山茶）Bingdao Laozhai / Bingdao Zhengshan — teaName of the national GI (CNIPA, 2025), limited to Bingdao natural village (Laozhai).
Romanisations
- Bing Dao
Translations and trade names
- Ice Island
- Bingdao Laozhai
Names and ambiguities#
Laozhai vs. the administrative village
1485 origin story: which chieftain, which seed
Red Star News (2025) cites 《双江傣族简史》: Mengku Dai chieftain Han Tingfa had seed planted at Bingdao, and the mother trees became the ancestors of Mengku large-leaf. China Newsweek (2021) says the Mengmeng chieftain sent people to Yiwu for 200-plus seeds and raised 150-plus plants. A 2018 trade column says 200-plus plants with 150 surviving, about 30 left by 1980 and over 1,000 counted in 2003. Treat this as tradition, not documented fact.
Household and output figures
China Newsweek (2021): 63 resident households in Laozhai and about 8 t of real Laozhai old-tree tea a year. A 2026 Huxiu reprint: 'over 70 households', about 2,000 mu, about 20 t (8-10 t old tree plus 10-12 t younger trees) and 2,500-3,000 old trees. The latter conflicts with the 24,232 trees over 100 years cited in 2021.
Notes#
The Bingdao village committee, in northern Mengku town, covers five natural villages including Bingdao Laozhai (冰岛老寨) and Dijie (地界). "Bingdao five villages" (冰岛五寨) tea from these neighbouring villages costs far less than Laozhai itself; record which one a listing claims.
Prices of teas claiming this origin#
Brand suggested price International retail
China reference prices centre on about $499.15 per 100 g. 4 international listing(s) cost less than half of that, so their origin claims deserve a closer look.
Show as table
| Product | Vendor | Channel | per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bingzhongdao Wang Zai Pin Ripe Pu'er Cake | King Tea Mall | International retail | $45.00 |
| Yunnan Sourcing Bing Dao Lao Zhai Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $66.00 |
| Yunnan Sourcing Bing Dao Lao Zhai Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $66.00 |
| Yunnan Sourcing Bing Dao Lao Zhai Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $78.13 |
| Bingdao Lao Zhai Ancient Tree Pu'er | The Essence of Tea | International retail | $291.60 |
| 雨林档案·冰岛 | Yulin Gucha Fang suggested price | Brand suggested price | $499.15 |
| Bing Dao Lao Zhai 500 Years Old Green Pu'er | Tea Habitat | International retail | $596.12 |
| Bing Dao Lao Zhai 800 Years Old Gushu Green Pu'er | Tea Habitat | International retail | $1,982 |
Listings claiming this origin 8#
Price ranks compare recorded retail offers for the same tea, including offers outside the current delivery filter. Shipping and import charges are excluded.
Prices compared in the selected currency; unknown values appear last.
| Product | Vendor | Price | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
Bingzhongdao Wang Zai Pin Ripe Pu'er Cake
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
King Tea MallWorldwide |
$179.99 / 400 g | $45.00 ≈ $3.15 a session |
Yunnan Sourcing Bing Dao Lao Zhai Raw Pu'er Tea Cake
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yunnan SourcingSelected destinations |
$132.00 / 200 g | $66.00 ≈ $4.62 a session |
Yunnan Sourcing Bing Dao Lao Zhai Raw Pu'er Tea Cake
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yunnan SourcingSelected destinations |
$165.00 / 250 g | $66.00 ≈ $4.62 a session |
Yunnan Sourcing Bing Dao Lao Zhai Raw Pu'er Tea Cake
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yunnan SourcingSelected destinations |
$156.25 / 200 g | $78.13 ≈ $5.47 a session |
Bingdao Lao Zhai Ancient Tree Pu'er
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
The Essence of TeaWorldwide |
$1,458 / 500 g | $291.60 ≈ $20.41 a session |
Bing Dao Lao Zhai 500 Years Old Green Pu'er
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Tea HabitatWorldwide |
$169.00 / 28.35 g | $596.12 ≈ $41.73 a session |
Bing Dao Lao Zhai 800 Years Old Gushu Green Pu'er
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Tea HabitatWorldwide |
$562.00 / 28.35 g | $1,982 ≈ $138.77 a session |
Price references 1
For comparison only. These are not retail offers or confirmation of delivery to your selected destination. Compare the same batch, date and pack size; shipping and taxes may differ.
Prices compared in the selected currency; unknown values appear last.
| Product | Vendor | Price | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 雨林档案·冰岛 Brand suggested price
checked: 2026-10-18
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yulin Gucha Fang suggested price | CN¥2,800 / 84 g | $499.15 CN¥3,333 / 100 g |
Prices recorded on the dates checked. Conversions use ECB rates dated 2026-10-20; original prices appear alongside. Origin, age and cultivar are stated by the vendor.