From the administrative center of Lao Cai province, we traveled over 80 km to Suoi Giang, now part of Van Chan commune. Leaving the town while the sky was still misty, the road was easy, and the higher we went, the more the scenery unfolded, a verdant landscape like a painting. Layers upon layers of tea hills stretched before us, and white clouds sometimes seemed to envelop the entire village in the early morning.
It had been raining incessantly all week, but on the day I arrived in Suoi Giang, the weather seemed to be cooperating. As soon as the sun rose, it shone brightly on the gray-brown wooden roofs, its light filtering through the ancient tea trees and illuminating the dew drops still clinging to the leaves, making them sparkle. Most impressive were the moss-covered wooden roofs. The atmosphere was remarkably tranquil and peaceful, a rarity in crowded tourist destinations.
Suoi Giang is located at an altitude of 1,371 meters above sea level, and is cool all year round. Hai Son, my travel companion on this trip, who previously worked for many years at the Cultural, Sports and Media Center of the former Van Chan district, shared:
In Suoi Giang, you can experience all four seasons in a single day. Early mornings are shrouded in mist, midday brings sunshine and a cool breeze, the afternoons are golden like poured honey, and the nights are pleasantly chilly. The atmosphere is just as refreshing as Sa Pa or Da Lat.
That statement only fueled my eagerness to explore the nature and people of this land.
Suoi Giang is not as noisy or bustling as Ta Van or Ta Phin. It mainly attracts domestic tourists, mostly small groups of young backpackers or families seeking tranquility. Among the many accommodations, we stopped at Suoi Giang Sky Gate, a homestay located at the highest point in the area. This is a complex offering accommodation, dining, and outdoor activities, focusing on a green and nature-friendly experience.
Suoi Giang Sky Gate currently has a capacity of nearly 100 guests, including private rooms and a community house. Mr. Trung further shared: "Most guests come on weekends and holidays. Weekdays are less crowded, perhaps because Suoi Giang is still a new destination for many people."
When we arrived, it was a weekday, and there were only two other groups of tourists staying there. Mr. Bui Nhat Vinh, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: “I’ve traveled to many places, but Suoi Giang gives me a special feeling. The scenery is beautiful, the roads are easy to navigate, and the nature is still pristine and unspoiled by commercialization. Everything here makes you feel relaxed.”
When mentioning Suoi Giang, one cannot fail to mention its ancient tea trees. Mr. Sung A Thong, an official from the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Van Chan commune and also a native of Suoi Giang, led me to a garden with tea trees hundreds of years old, their gnarled trunks covered in moss, standing majestically as witnesses to time amidst the green forest.
Mr. Thong said: "The locals here recount a legend that a Hmong couple went to the fields. One time, the wife had a stomachache in the forest. The husband broke off some leaves of a bitter-tasting plant, boiled them in water, and gave it to his wife to drink, and she recovered. From then on, the people cultivated tea plants for medicinal purposes and as a beverage. That's how tea plants have become so closely associated with Suoi Giang. The tea plants thrive in the cool climate and rocky mountain soil, giving them a unique flavor unlike anywhere else."
After strolling around the garden, we visited the "Suoi Giang Tea Culture Space" to enjoy tea. A young woman named Bich Ngoc, who introduced herself as the tea master (the person who brews the tea), along with tea ladies (who assist the tea master in serving tea to guests), greeted us with warm smiles. The tea room was small, with a gently burning fire, and the tea master introduced four types of tea: white tea, yellow tea, green tea, and black tea. The teas were classified by their fermentation and harvesting methods.
We were treated to black tea, a type of tea said to be beneficial for women's health and beauty. The tea lady served us cups, one long and one short, while the tea master performed each step: heating the teapot, adding the tea leaves, pouring in water to cool it down… Each step was meticulous and slow.
"First, water; second, tea; third, brewing method; fourth, teapot," the tea master said, as a guiding principle for the tea-drinking experience. "The water used for brewing is sourced from the headwaters of a spring, boiled, and then cooled using a 'water-regulating' method. Therefore, the combination of ancient Shan Tuyet tea and the water source will give Suoi Giang tea its unique flavor," the tea master shared.
We enjoyed the tea as instructed by the tea master. The aroma was subtle, the flavor gradually deepening with each sip. In that moment, I felt that the tea was no longer just water, but the essence, the embrace of the mountains and forests, embodied in each leaf bud, delivering a truly special taste.
It was even more interesting to hear Ms. Nguyen Thu Hang, manager of the "Tea Culture Space," say: "Suoi Giang tea has been certified as a 4-star OCOP product. Almost every visitor who comes here brings back a few boxes as gifts."
In the "Suoi Giang Tea Culture Space," Mr. Sung A Thong shared: "Suoi Giang has more than 10 households running homestays, but the potential has not been fully exploited."
Besides its ancient tea plantations, Suoi Giang boasts many unique destinations such as Thien Cung Cave, Coc Tinh Cave, waterfalls hidden deep in the forest, and lush green mountain slopes inviting trekking, picnicking, and nature exploration. In particular, the cool climate year-round is ideal for developing sustainable wellness, healing, and community-based tourism in Suoi Giang.
Suoi Giang is still a rough gem. The important thing is to develop it in the right direction, preserve its identity, conserve tea plants, and maintain the lifestyle of the Mong people.
Mr. Thong added: "We hope that visitors come here not only to admire the scenery and drink tea, but also to understand and appreciate a land with many unique cultural features."
Amidst the tourism industry's growing focus on green values and environmental protection, Suoi Giang stands out as an ideal choice, a place where visitors aren't looking for glitz and glamour, but simply want enough tranquility to listen to the wind rustling through the tea hills and sip a cup of tea to better understand the land and its people.
I left Suoi Giang after silently admiring the scenery and taking deep breaths of the cool, refreshing air from the ancient tea trees and the breeze. The fragrant scent of tea still lingered in the wind, along with the moss-covered wooden roofs. People call Suoi Giang "the second Sapa," but I believe it's a unique Suoi Giang, with its endless clouds, ancient tea plantations, cool climate, and simple people amidst the vast wilderness. I've added another small note to my travel experience to share with friends near and far – a Suoi Giang as beautiful as a love song between mountains and tea.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/ban-tinh-ca-giua-nui-va-tra-post649856.html
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