Journey of Ban Ven tea tree

From lush green tea fields to the brand "Ven Ban Green Tea" recognized as 3-star OCOP, it has helped the people of Ven village, Yen The district, Bac Giang province stabilize their lives and preserve and spread their cultural identity.

Ban Ven is like a “hidden gem” in the deep green mountains and forests of Yen The. The ancient village of the Cao Lan people appeared more than three centuries ago, nestled at the foot of fertile hillsides. About 40 km from the center of Bac Giang city, Ban Ven stands out with its landscape of forests, mountains, waterfalls and the rich cultural values of the Cao Lan people. Since the early days of the village, tea trees have become close companions of the people of Ban Ven. Tea is grown on gentle hillsides, taking advantage of fertile land and cool climate, bringing the main source of income for families.

The Cao Lan people, with their industrious and skillful nature, have taken care of the tea trees with all their heart. Therefore, the tea tree is not only an economic crop but also a bond that connects the community, preserving the cultural soul of Cao Lan. The tea trees of Ban Ven have witnessed the changes of the times. From the days of manual production, when people picked the tea by hand and roasted it on cast iron pans, to date, the tea trees have been cared for according to modern standards such as VietGAP and organic. However, the secret of "taking the aroma" and letting the tea cool on clean ground before packaging is still preserved by the Cao Lan people as a heritage. It is the combination of tradition and modernity that has created the characteristics of Ban Ven green tea: green water the color of young rice, strong flavor, and passionate aroma.

In daily life, tea appears in festivals, weddings, or simply in conversations on the porch of stilt houses. Through each Sinh folk song sung on the tea fields, Cao Lan people express their love for their homeland, gratitude to nature and pride in tea trees. And then, the tea trees themselves have become a bridge, bringing the Cao Lan ethnic identity closer to domestic and foreign tourists when Ven village becomes an attractive tourist destination.

Than Truong Cooperative is a pioneer in helping Ban Ven tea reach further. Currently, the cooperatives have invested in modern machinery such as roasting machines, rolling machines, and applied automatic irrigation technology, helping to increase productivity and ensure quality. The Cao Lan people's secret to tea processing, such as picking according to the standard of "one bud, two young leaves" or leaving the tea to "take the aroma" on clean soil, has been standardized by the cooperative while still maintaining traditional features. Ban Ven tea will be recognized as a 3-star OCOP product in 2022.

Support from local authorities also plays an important role. For example, the People's Committee of Yen The district has implemented a sustainable agricultural development project for the 2021-2025 period, including supporting people to grow new tea varieties such as LDP1, LDP2, apply modern farming techniques and build commercial tea production areas. Training courses, support programs for machinery and irrigation systems have helped people reduce the labor burden and improve product quality. Thanks to that, tea productivity in Ven village has reached 9-10 tons/ha/year, bringing stable income to hundreds of households.

The endless green tea hills, like upside-down bowls stretching across the hillsides, have become a highlight attracting tourists. Combined with the beautiful natural landscape, cultural works such as the communal house, the flag and the thousand-year-old lim tree, Ven village has now become an attractive community eco-tourism destination. In recent times, Than Truong Cooperative has developed tourism experience services, such as tea picking, tea drying, or enjoying specialties associated with Cao Lan culture.

Visitors to Ven village will be able to admire the natural scenery and participate in festivals, listen to Sinh folk songs, and rest in traditional stilt houses. Ven village's eco-cultural tourism site was recognized as a 3-star OCOP in 2022 and has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors each year, bringing a new source of income to the people.

The development of tourism also contributes to preserving and spreading the cultural identity of Cao Lan. Through training courses on community tourism, along with investment in infrastructure such as stilt houses, motels, and stalls selling OCOP products, Ven village has become a more professional destination. Products such as green tea, wild honey, hill chicken, and five-color sticky rice are both souvenirs and a way for visitors to bring the cultural story of Ven village home.

Ban Ven tea trees are also a symbol of perseverance, hard work and creativity of the Cao Lan people. From simple tea fields, the people of Ban Ven have built a famous brand, contributing to hunger eradication, poverty reduction and improving living standards. The journey of more than 300 years of tea trees is a story about the bond between humans and nature, about how a small community has preserved its cultural identity amidst the flow of modernity.

DANG GIANG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hanh-trinh-cay-che-ban-ven-post886749.html