Nestled between the Tam Dao mountain range and the southern end of the Ngan Son and Bac Son mountain arcs, Thai Nguyen boasts a transitional geographical location from mountainous to lowland, resembling a gateway to the Viet Bac highlands. Thai Nguyen isn't far from Hanoi , only about 70km from the capital's center via a highway that shortens travel time, yet the mystical atmosphere of the forest roads still envelops the area. It seems that this semi-mountainous region remains largely unknown, but only by visiting can one truly appreciate its value.
Thai Nguyen was inhabited by Vietnamese people during prehistoric and early historical times, then became a province during the Ly Dynasty, and a town during the Tran Dynasty, guarding the northern border of the capital Thang Long. Established by Emperor Minh Mang in 1831, Thai Nguyen Province became an important administrative and military center of the Nguyen Dynasty as well as during the French colonial period. Migrants from the lowlands settled and cultivated the land, creating a unique agricultural area. The soil, suitable for tea cultivation in Thai Nguyen city and the districts of Dong Hy, Dai Tu, and Phu Luong, has created a tea-producing region for the province. Almost every Vietnamese person knows the saying "Thai tea, Tuyen Quang girls," which praises the quality of Thai Nguyen's tea and the beauty and diligence of the girls from the neighboring Tuyen Quang province.
Thai Nguyen means "vast, flat land," an ancient alluvial plain with the Cau River originating in Bac Kan and flowing through the province to Bac Ninh. However, the most famous river is the Cong River, a tributary of the Cau River, originating in Dinh Hoa district. This river is steeped in the legend of a love story transcending social class differences between the shepherd boy Coc and the noblewoman Cong. Modern human hands have created the Nui Coc irrigation lake, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thai Nguyen province.
A crystal-clear lake becomes spectacular when viewed from above, emerald-green hills rising above the turquoise water, setting the stage for the music of memories to resonate: "The sun rises, turning the lake a legendary blue, listening to the old story of the young couple..." (Legend of Lake Nui Coc - Pho Duc Phuong).
Strategically located on National Highway 3, which leads into the heart of the Viet Bac region, Thai Nguyen is the site of historical events that shaped modern Vietnam. The Thai Nguyen Uprising of 1917, with figures like Doi Can and Luong Ngoc Quyen, marked a significant milestone in the 20th-century national liberation movement. The forests of Thai Nguyen served as a refuge for anti-Japanese resistance fighters 80 years prior during the 1945 General Uprising, and were also the base of the Dinh Hoa Safe Zone, where the Democratic Republic of Vietnam established its "capital of the mountains" for much of the resistance against the French (1947-1954).
Honor magazine
