Lincang

Four days across Lincang from Yulong Lake to Mengdong

Four days cover Lincang's highlights. Spend the first in Linxiang at West City Gate Park, the Mengwang Stupa and Yulong Lake, the second in Fengqing for the 3,200-year-old tea tree at Jinxiu village, the third travelling south to Mengdong in Cangyuan, and the fourth at the Va village of Wengding.

Day one, Linxiang. Fly in to Boshang Airport from Kunming. Spend the morning at West City Gate Park and the Mengwang Stupa, then walk the promenade around Yulong Lake in the late afternoon when families come out to stroll.

Day two, Fengqing. Drive north to Fengqing County. Go first to Jinxiu village in Xiaowan town to see the ancient cultivated tea tree, about 3,200 years old, then visit a Dianhong black-tea factory in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Fengqing town.

Day three, south to Cangyuan. This is the long transfer. Either return to Linxiang and fly, or take an intercounty bus or hired car south via Shuangjiang and Gengma. Arrive in Mengdong by evening and walk around Monihei Square.

Day four, Va country. Morning at Wengding, the Va village in the hills near Cangyuan Washan Airport, reopened to visitors at the end of 2022 after reconstruction following a 2021 fire. Ask locally about the ancient cliff paintings in the county. Fly out from Cangyuan in the afternoon. During carnival week, swap day four for a full day of Monihei in Mengdong.

Dianhong tea, Va chicken porridge and the Lincang night stalls

Tea comes first in Lincang. Fengqing is the home of Dianhong black tea, and the prefecture produces large amounts of pu'er, so taste several rounds in tea shops before buying. In Cangyuan, try Va chicken porridge and village rice liquor, and in Linxiang eat grilled skewers, mixian rice noodles and Dai-style sour dishes at evening food streets.

Tea comes before food here. Fengqing is the home of Dianhong, Yunnan's malty black tea, and Lincang as a whole produces large quantities of pu'er, both the aged dark kind and fresh green maocha. Shuangjiang's Mengku area grows a prized large-leaf variety. Most tea shops will brew several rounds for you to taste before you buy, and many factories welcome visitors.

The Va kitchen in Cangyuan is the other highlight. Look for Va chicken porridge, rice cooked soft with shredded chicken and local herbs, and for dishes flavoured with wild greens, chilli and ginger. Sticky rice, roasted meats and fiery dipping sauces show up at festivals, and Va villages brew their own rice liquor, which you will be offered on any visit.

In Linxiang, evening food streets serve grilled skewers, rice noodles in broth (mixian) and Dai-style sour and spicy dishes that reflect the prefecture's mix of peoples. Mornings start with a bowl of noodles from a small shop near your hotel.

Bring a translation app: menus are in Chinese, and pointing at what the next table is eating is often the best way to order.

Black faces at the May Monihei Carnival and Lincang's rains

Most visitors come to Lincang for the Monihei Carnival in Mengdong, Cangyuan, over the first days of May, when participants daub each other with black paste as a Va blessing. The dry season from November to April is mild and clear, May brings rain, and the monsoon peaks in July at about 256 mm.

The Monihei Carnival is the event that brings visitors to the far south-west. It runs over the first days of May (1 to 4 May in 2026) in Mengdong, the seat of Cangyuan Va Autonomous County, centred on Monihei Square. Participants daub each other with a black paste, a Va blessing that traditionally drove off misfortune, and the days mix parades, dancing and drumming.

The weather explains the timing. Lincang's averages show a long dry season: January highs of 21C with lows of 6C and about 22 mm of rain, March at 25C and 11C, and April at 27C with 43 mm. In May the rain jumps to about 101 mm, and the monsoon peaks in July at 256 mm before easing to 108 mm in October and just 37 mm in November. December is the coolest month, with highs of 20C and lows near 7C.

Spring is also tea-picking season, from about March, when the first flush is plucked in Fengqing and Shuangjiang. For a calmer visit, come between November and February, when the skies are clear. Lincang links easily with the rest of Yunnan: fly via Kunming, or ride the railway to Dali and beyond.