The startup story of young entrepreneur Le Thi Bich Hanh

Although she has just taken on the position of President of the Investment and Startup Club of Tien Yen district, Ms. Le Thi Bich Hanh (born in 1985), CEO of Tien Yen Golden Flower Tea, has become a role model, an inspiration, and a driving force for young people in the district to start a business for many years now with her own dynamic, creative, daring to think and dare to do spirit.

Ms. Le Thi Bich Hanh, President of the Investment and Startup Club of Tien Yen district, signed a cooperation agreement with the Quang Ninh Investment and Startup Club on connecting and promoting trade and startups in the Eastern region for the first time (August 2024). *Photo: Tran Hoan (Contributor)*

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ms. Le Thi Bich Hanh was known as a dedicated preschool teacher, passionate about many generations of students. Having been involved in the teaching profession for 18 years, including 10 years working in highland schools and disadvantaged villages of the district, witnessing the difficult and arduous life of the villagers, and the lack of children going to school, has urged Ms. Hanh to nurture her own business plans.

Ms. Hanh shared: 10 years working in the highland communes is the time I have experienced many things. From Yen Than commune to Dai Duc, the days working here I have had the opportunity to travel a lot, know a lot and see the natural beauty and traditional culture of the people of my hometown. Being a person who is passionate about traveling and exploring, I cherish the idea of developing a community tourism model in the scenic area of Pac Sui waterfall (Yen Than commune) and producing Tien Yen's golden flower tea grown and harvested by the people from the natural forest. Thereby, I hope to exploit the potential and advantages of my hometown, help local youth learn, boldly develop the economy , strive to build a prosperous life and, most of all, have more resources to help those in difficult circumstances, children in the highland communes to be taken care of more fully.

Ms. Le Thi Bich Hanh *(far left)* Introducing Tien Yen golden flower tea products at the exhibition promoting trade and investment of young Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Quang Ninh in April 2024.

Thinking is doing, in 2021, Ms. Hanh started to establish the Tien Yen Agricultural Products Processing and Consumption Cooperative - Tien Yen Yellow Flower Tea Production. Along with purchasing tea to help people have a stable consumption output, Ms. Hanh invested in machinery, self-study, researched methods of drying camellia flowers, promoted product introduction through OCOP fairs of the district, province, trade promotion programs, direct sales and online channels. On average, each year, the cooperative produces nearly 2 quintals of dried camellia flowers, bringing in a profit of about 1 billion VND, gradually creating a foothold in the yellow flower tea market of Quang Ninh.

Also in 2021, while stabilizing the operations of the newly established cooperative, with her acumen, Ms. Hanh continued to research and determined to develop a community tourism model, building Pac Sui homestay to be able to put it into operation immediately after the Covid-19 epidemic situation was controlled.

Up to now, after 3 years of operation, Pac Sui homestay has become a favorite stop for tourists when coming to Tien Yen. Coming to Pac Sui homestay, visitors will be immersed in the fresh, open space of the mountains and forests, immersed in the cool water of Pac Sui waterfall on hot summer days, feeling peaceful and serene moments, leaving behind all the worries and troubles of life. At the same time, enjoy unique cuisine from local agricultural products such as Tien Yen chicken, khau nhuc, nodding cake, yellow flower tea...; soak your feet in Dao medicinal leaves; make a campfire, rent traditional costumes to take photos and check-in, learn about ethnic culture with the locals...

Ms. Le Thi Bich Hanh and members of Tien Yen Charity Club gave financial support to a family in especially difficult circumstances in Dong Ngu commune.

Not only passionate about her work, Ms. Hanh also actively participates in charity activities as Vice President of Tien Yen Charity Club. With the desire to help poor children, those in difficult circumstances and those who are less fortunate in life to continue to rise up, from 2015 to now, Ms. Hanh has become a bridge connecting businesses, units, and philanthropists to regularly maintain activities of sponsoring poor children, supporting house construction and repair for especially difficult households, visiting and giving gifts to poor households in the district on holidays and Tet...

In particular, after the recent impacts of storm No. 3, she and the Club members quickly mobilized resources to support and help a family repair their house worth 30 million VND; donated 6 tons of rice, 600 boxes of instant noodles and 400 gifts including necessities and necessary household items to households that suffered heavy damage to their housing and production and business activities.

Being dedicated to doing a good job as a teacher every day, being quick and dynamic in the role of a young entrepreneur as well as spending time taking good care of the family, certainly no matter who you are, you will not be able to avoid difficulties and hardships. However, for Ms. Hanh, being able to live, strive and try to do what you love is the joy and motivation for her to continue to move forward and inspire and give positive energy to young people to be more confident on the path of establishing themselves, starting a business, contributing and dedicating more to the community, homeland and country. She was honored to receive a certificate of merit from the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee in the emulation movement "Young Party members doing good economics" in 2023 and many certificates of merit from the province and district for her achievements in work and emulation movements in school years...

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