Connecting digitally, spreading the aroma of tea.

For a long time, tea has been the main crop and cultural symbol of Thai Nguyen, a region known as the "Finest Tea Region". In the context of integration, enhancing brand image, expanding consumer markets, and diversifying trade promotion activities have become crucial tasks. In recent years, Thai Nguyen has combined traditional values ​​with opportunities from digital transformation, enabling its tea products to reach further into domestic and international markets.

Tourists visit and experience the tea-growing region.

The impetus from digital commerce

Thai Nguyen is a region blessed with favorable conditions for tea cultivation, creating a distinctive tea brand. The province has approximately 22,200 hectares of tea plantations, yielding about 262,000 tons of fresh tea leaves annually.

The province currently has 207 OCOP tea products ranging from 3 to 5 stars, and the value of processed tea products is estimated at over 13,000 billion VND per year. These figures create a solid foundation for Thai Nguyen to continue promoting trade in a modern and sustainable direction, while building a tea brand associated with cultural and tourism images.

Authorities, along with businesses, cooperatives, and tea growers, maintain traditional distribution channels while quickly adapting to the digital economy . The Department of Industry and Trade supports units in building online stores and listing products on e-commerce platforms.

Training courses on digital business, photography, content creation, and booth operation help people access modern and professional marketing methods, while promoting cooperation between cooperatives, businesses, and digital platforms to develop sustainable brands.

Livestream selling is one of the effective methods for introducing and selling tea products.

Mr. Ma Van Thong, Director of Ban Moc Agricultural Cooperative (Yen Binh commune), shared: "The training courses organized by the Department of Industry and Trade are very practical, helping the cooperative better grasp digital business skills. Thanks to this, implementing sales on Facebook, Zalo, TikTok shop, and the Vo So e-commerce platform has become easier. This is an opportunity for us to expand our customer base and effectively promote our Shan Tuyet tea products."

A significant milestone was the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Department of Industry and Trade and TikTok Vietnam to promote tea products through short video clips. Stories about tea-making villages, traditional tea processing methods, and the art of tea appreciation were vividly conveyed, helping to bring the image of Thai Nguyen tea closer to domestic and international consumers.

Mr. Pham Van Tho, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, emphasized: E-commerce opens new doors for OCOP products, specialty agricultural products, and rural industrial products of the province, including tea. By participating in online platforms, cooperatives increase revenue, expand their customer base nationwide, and have the opportunity to access export markets.

A space for displaying and tasting Thai Nguyen tea at the "Quang Ninh Autumn Colors 2025" regional specialty exhibition and fair.

Besides building online stores, many cooperatives also partner with tourism businesses, creating opportunities to both experience and purchase products directly. Video clips and livestreams about the tea harvesting, processing, and tasting experiences are widely shared on social media, making it easier for tourists and consumers nationwide to access the products. This helps increase revenue for the cooperatives and enhances the cultural value and brand recognition of Thai Nguyen tea in new markets.

Tea and cultural experiences

Thai Nguyen considers tea culture as a "soft asset" for developing tourism alongside trade promotion. The culture and tourism sector connects many localities to promote community tourism associated with tea and specialties of the "tea land". At the end of 2024, the Tourism Association published the book "Who Brings the Moonlight to Shine on the Tea Hills", contributing to spreading the story of the land and people of Thai Nguyen, while also arousing the interest of domestic and international tourists.

Leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Tourism Association of Thai Nguyen province presented the book "Who Brings the Moonlight to Shine on the Tea Hills?" to delegates attending the Famtrip program introducing "The Four Great Famous Teas of Thai Nguyen" in 2024. Photo: Provided.

The province is also piloting a Hanoi-Thai Nguyen tourist train route, where visitors can enjoy tea, listen to Then singing, experience local specialties and OCOP products, creating a tourism journey rich in cultural identity. The tours are designed to combine visits to tea gardens, experiences in harvesting and processing tea, giving visitors a comprehensive experience of tea culture.

Thai Nguyen currently boasts many tea culture experience spaces that attract tourists, most notably the Tan Cuong Tea Culture Space, which preserves tea heritage with a system of artifacts, documents, and professionally organized activities such as tea picking, processing, and tasting.

Cooperative societies such as Tien Yen, Hao Dat, Tam Tra Thai, Huong Van Tra, and La Bang tea are developing eco-tourism models linked to tea. Tourists can stroll through tea hills, learn about the tea-making process, pick and process tea leaves themselves, and enjoy tea right in the local setting. These destinations are increasingly becoming the choice of millions of tourists, affirming the appeal of community-based tourism associated with Thai Nguyen's tea culture.

Huong Van Tea Cooperative will bring the flavor of Thai Nguyen tea to Japanese tourists at the 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival held in Hai Phong City.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Van, Director of Huong Van Tea Cooperative, shared: "The cooperative's goal is to bring tea products to the market and spread the cultural depth of Thai Nguyen. The Huong Van tea space in Phan Dinh Phung ward is a cultural meeting point where visitors can experience the aroma of fresh tea, learn about the traditional tea processing method, and enjoy the refined rituals of tea appreciation."

At major events such as the National Achievements Exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025), the OCOP Fair, or the Autumn Fair, the tea-tasting space is elaborately set up, becoming a highlight. The art of brewing and tasting tea is showcased as a distinctive "identifying mark," contributing to enhancing the value of Thai Nguyen tea products.

The tea hills in Tan Cuong commune are one of the attractive spaces for experiencing tea culture, drawing many tourists.

The Department of Industry and Trade continues to promote trade to expand the market for Thai Nguyen tea. On December 19th and 20th, the province will organize a tea brand promotion and advertising exhibition with activities such as: displaying OCOP products, introducing specialty teas, connecting consumers, and organizing a "Golden Hands Tea Processing" competition to honor artisans. Professionalized tea-related tours, combining tea tasting, tea processing, and historical exploration, promise to attract a large number of tourists.

In reality, promoting and marketing tea products is a long-term strategy for Thai Nguyen. The combination of e-commerce, experiential tourism, technology application, and cultural spaces creates a comprehensive promotional ecosystem, transforming Thai Nguyen tea from an agricultural product into a cultural and economic symbol of the northern midland region.

These efforts contribute to enhancing brand value and promoting sustainable socio-economic development, while also opening up opportunities for cooperation and investment both domestically and internationally, helping Thai Nguyen tea reach regional and international levels.

The combination of e-commerce, digital media, and technology applications in tea cultivation and processing has helped Thai Nguyen improve product quality, expand its consumer market, and build a modern image while preserving its unique identity.

As a result, the Thai Nguyen tea brand is becoming increasingly recognized in both domestic and international markets, creating a special appeal for investors and tourists.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202511/ket-noi-so-lan-toa-huong-tra-d7a1967/