14 Days in Lincang

Land at Lincang — its railway has run since the very end of 2020 — and open with the Mekong-bank tea gardens of Xigui, about an hour northeast.

1. lincang xigui tea village

About 90 minutes into Shuangjiang county for Mengku and the Bingdao old-tea village around 1,400 metres; the wild-tea forests of the snow mountains outline the far valley above 2,200 metres.

1. lincang bingdao old village

An honest transfer note — about three hours southwest into Cangyuan county — for the Wa village of Wengding, thatched wooden houses rebuilt after the serious fire of February 2021; walk it as a living village.

1. lincang wengding village

Red-ochre figures and cattle on the Menglai cliffs, commonly estimated at some 3,000 years, and the limestone halls of the Simangli cave named for the Wa origin epic; sleep again in the county town.

1. lincang cangyuan cliff paintings
2. lincang sigangli cave

The Qing-era Guangyun temple, listed for national protection in 1988, then west into Gengma county for Mantuan's Dai papermakers; sleep in Gengma.

1. lincang guangyun temple
2. lincang mantuan paper village

A market-town morning at Mengding on the Myanmar border crossing, with rice-plain villages and the border trade bustle, then back through Gengma for the night.

1. lincang mengding border town

The long drive northeast with a break at the reservoir behind the Manwan dam — the first big station on the Mekong, generating from the early 1990s; evening in Lincang.

1. lincang manwan long lake

A second Xigui afternoon for the tea houses missed on day one, plus the tea markets of the prefecture capital — an easy mid-trip day between the long legs.

1. lincang xigui tea village

About two hours northwest to Fengqing, where the black-tea style called Dianhong was first made in 1939; factory and estate tastings with an overnight in the county town.

1. lincang fengqing dianhong

Into the hills of Xiaowan town for the Jinxiu tea zun, usually estimated at some 3,200 years and still tended by the village below; back to Fengqing or onward toward Lincang.

1. lincang jinxiu tea zun

Return to Lincang for laundry, trains and a slow tea-house afternoon — an honest rest day before the last long pair of drives.

1. lincang xigui tea village

Honestly labelled neighbouring-city day — about five hours southeast across Pu'er's Lancang county to the Jingmai old-tea-forest cultural landscape, inscribed by UNESCO in 2023; sleep in a village on the mountain.

1. puer jingmai old tea forest

Morning mist over the groves and the Dai and Blang villages among them, then the honest drive back toward Lincang; sleep in the city.

1. puer jingmai old tea forest

A last tea-market morning for gifts, then the railway connection — Lincang's line opened at the very end of 2020 — or the airport flight home.

1. lincang xigui tea village