Heritage tourism - Outlining a path

Returning to Thai Nguyen this time, we witnessed many changes and received quite a few surprises. Surprises arose from things we once thought impossible, now becoming a reality. The Tien Yen Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative (Tien Yen Cooperative) in the Tan Cuong tea-growing region was a surprise. Director Bui Trong Dai is very young, a late 70s generation. With a microphone in his ear, he looks like a professional, stylish MC.

Lush green tea plantations in Thai Nguyen .

Tea hills become visual teaching aids.

Stepping into Tien Yen Farmstay, a meticulously planned and invested establishment, one is truly overwhelmed and captivated by the lush greenery and the cooperative's business practices. Tien Yen Farmstay boasts a beautiful landscape, with a system of small concrete paths nearly 1,000 meters long within the tea plantation area, providing convenient access for visitors. There's a lake and connecting bridges creating a picturesque backdrop for photos; and gazebos around the lake where guests can enjoy tea, admire the scenery, and even fish.

Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen is a renowned tea-growing region. The Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi (Comprehensive Gazetteer of Dai Nam) of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) once confirmed this. "I am the third generation in my family to make tea, and the Tan Cuong tea-growing region has existed for hundreds of years," Bui Trong Dai proudly stated, speaking about the traditions of his hometown and family.

Regarding tea cultivation, according to Director Bui Trong Dai, Tien Yen Cooperative has over 2 hectares of tea plantations, including 1 hectare of traditional midland tea varieties. The cooperative also collaborates with other tea growers, ensuring a supply of raw materials across 30 hectares. Director Bui Trong Dai stated that 5 hectares out of 30 hectares of tea production have organic certification; harvesting and processing always adhere to strict domestic and international technical and quality standards, and the products are safe according to VietGAP standards.

Regarding processing, Tien Yen Cooperative, participating in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program, has developed clove tea, a 4-star OCOP product. As a result, the selling price of the product is about 20% higher than before.

Regarding tourism , recognizing the growing trend of people seeking peaceful places to enjoy life in the most relaxed way, the cooperative has taken the lead in "opening a new direction" for Thai Nguyen's tea region by offering homestay services, welcoming tourists to relax and experience community-based tourism related to tea culture. Tien Yen Homestay currently has 6 five-star standard rooms and 1 communal room with a capacity of 40-45 guests.

Word of mouth has spread. On average, about 10 international tour groups come to experience the place each month. I asked Director Bui Trong Dai if high school students visit annually, and he smiled: "Of course, we're turning the tea hills, the production site, into a visual teaching aid." That's a positive sign of transition.

Tien Yen Farmstay's slogan is "Experience the Land of Tea - Rich in Identity." The Tien Yen Cooperative is doing its best in this direction. There are two dialectical aspects here: tea products "give wings" to tourism, and conversely, tourism helps to spread tea products and tea culture further.

Currently, Tien Yen Farmstay has connected with travel companies through mass media and social media applications to welcome guests to experience the tea culture of Tan Cuong. The La Bang Tea Cooperative and Hao Dat Tea Cooperative have initially begun digital transformation to market and spread the values ​​of Thai Nguyen's tea products and culture.

An opportunity to explore and experience.

Green spaces at Tien Yen Community Tea and Tourism Cooperative - a destination for cultural experiences and ecotourism. Photo: Kim Ngan.

Thai Nguyen is a land rich in historical traditions and cultural heritage, including many classified and honored heritage sites.

The "business story" of tourism economics here also involves exploiting cultural heritage, figuring out how to create attractive and unique tourism products and services while simultaneously preserving and promoting the value of that heritage. The solution should not only bring economic benefits but also promote the image and cultural identity of the nation, and educate future generations about the traditions of their homeland.

Following the merger, Thai Nguyen province has nearly 1,200 historical and cultural relics and scenic spots, including 3 special national relics, 67 national relics, 322 provincial relics, and hundreds of unclassified relics. The province also boasts 43 nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage sites. Many of these have become complete cultural and tourism products, gradually transforming the local economic structure and bringing practical and sustainable benefits to the community.

Currently, Thai Nguyen has many innovative business models. Indeed, many private economic units have become well-known and are "on the way" to building their brands. Cooperative economic models in Thai Nguyen all have products that have achieved OCOP (One Commune One Product) ratings from 4 to 5 stars.

In particular, these economic organizations all apply modern production technology and digital transformation; improve product quality and strictly adhere to national standards on food safety and commercial goods... All products are assigned QR codes for traceability and use Blockchain technology to verify quality at all stages in a modern way, giving customers absolute confidence.

Mr. Do Trong Hiep, Director of Da Huong International Travel Company and Chairman of the Thai Nguyen Tourism Association, said that the number of international tourists visiting Thai Nguyen is not yet large, mainly domestic tourists who have only visited typical tea hills and other scenic spots such as Ba Be Lake, Nui Coc Lake, Dinh Hoa Revolutionary Base, Cho Don Revolutionary Base... Currently, Thai Nguyen province still has many things to do after the merger, so tourism development projects also have to wait.

Admittedly, Thai Nguyen has made many efforts to develop cultural tourism products, linked to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values, exploiting its diverse and unique strengths to create unique and distinctive tourism products.

At the same time, community tourism, agricultural tourism (tea tourism), and ecotourism are being developed. Tourists visiting Thai Nguyen increasingly have the opportunity to explore and experience tourism products, OCOP products, and the unique tea culture of Thai Nguyen.

Has anyone ever attended a party where all the dishes were flavored with tea? It's certainly something unique to Thai Nguyen. It's a new element on the "path" of developing heritage tourism.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202508/du-lich-di-san-phac-thao-mot-con-duong-8ba6246/