Linking up to develop the Thai tea brand.

Following the merger of Bac Kan and Thai Nguyen provinces, tea – a crop with a long history in the northern mountainous communes of the province – is presented with new opportunities. More than just an agricultural crop, tea now carries the mission of enriching the local people, preserving indigenous culture, and contributing to establishing the Thai tea brand on the Vietnamese tea map.

People in Dong Phuc commune are harvesting Shan Tuyet tea.

On the cool, year-round-long mountain slopes over 1,000 meters high in Dong Phuc and Yen Binh communes, rows of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees stretch towards the mist. The tea buds are covered in a layer of fine white downy hairs, and when brewed, they produce a golden-yellow tea with a rich, sweet flavor and a lingering aroma. These unique characteristics have created the Dong Phuc Shan Tuyet tea brand, which was granted a collective trademark in 2018.

Currently, the total tea cultivation area in the northern part of Thai Nguyen province reaches over 2,100 hectares, with a production of approximately 8,000 tons per year. Many products have established their position in the market, such as Shan Tuyet tea in filter bags from Tat Van Cooperative, Khau Mu tea from Thai Lao Cooperative in Yen Binh commune; Matcha Shan Tuyet tea from Ngoc Thang Company in Cho Don commune; and Hong Ha organic Shan Tuyet tea from Dong Phuc commune…

Besides Shan Tuyet tea, the northern mountainous region of Thai Nguyen is also famous for its golden flower tea. This is a rare medicinal plant, whose leaves were once harvested and dried by locals to treat high blood pressure and diabetes. Thanks to its special value, golden flower tea is positioned as a "premium local tea," with the price of dried flowers sometimes exceeding 10 million VND per kilogram.

Ms. Ha Minh Doi, Director of Ha Diep Co., Ltd., Duc Xuan Ward, one of the pioneering units in developing the golden flower tea growing area in the North, said: "When I held in my hand the dried golden flower tea blossoms, retaining their original color and aroma, I knew I was holding a priceless product."

Despite initial difficulties regarding varieties and techniques, we remained determined to invest in transforming golden flower tea into a strong brand, not only in Thai Nguyen but also expanding into the international market. To date, Ha Diep Company has established a raw material area of ​​over 3,000 golden flower tea plants, its products have achieved OCOP 4-star certification, are available in many provinces and cities, and are chosen as gifts at diplomatic events.

In addition, many other cooperatives such as Hoa Thinh, BK FOODS, Duong Phong… also participated, gradually forming a value chain for the production and processing of golden flower tea. Administrative mergers have opened up a broader development space for tea cultivation in mountainous areas.

Previously, mountainous regions often faced difficulties in connecting to markets, had small-scale production, and outdated processing technology. Now, thanks to being integrated with the Thai Nguyen tea ecosystem, tea in the northern mountainous areas of the province has gained new momentum.

Not only businesses, but also small-scale producers receive support in terms of technology and processing equipment. Many communes, such as Yen Binh and Thuong Minh, have built medium-sized processing plants right in their raw material areas. As a result, 100% of the fresh tea buds are processed on the same day, preserving the original flavor of high-mountain tea.

Processing of golden flower tea products at Ha Diep Co., Ltd. (Duc Xuan Ward).

Ms. Ha Minh Doi, Director of Ha Diep Co., Ltd., analyzed: "To gain a foothold in the international market, we must definitely focus on deep processing and product diversification. We are concentrating on developing a variety of products from golden flower tea such as whole flower tea, tea bags, and golden flower tea-infused wine to serve various customer segments and export to Japan and South Korea."

On July 30, 2025, the Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 08/2025/NQ-HĐND on regulations for supporting the development of the tea industry in the period 2025-2030, with resources exceeding 500 billion VND. This policy aims not only to increase production value but also to encourage the development of tea tourism and digital transformation in production, processing, and business.

The resolution will create favorable conditions for the development of tea in the northern mountainous region towards organic and safe production, linked with deep processing. In particular, the northern region will play a crucial role with specialty products such as Shan Tuyet tea and Hoa Vang tea – which are irreplaceable advantages of the high mountain areas.

The new policies within the new administrative framework will create connections between tea-growing localities in the province, forming a synchronized, unified, and efficient value chain. When the "fragrance of green tea, high-mountain Shan snow tea," and "rare golden flower tea" blend with the "essence of midland tea," the Thai Nguyen tea brand will gain further momentum, expanding its brand reach from the domestic market to the international market.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202510/lien-ket-phat-trien-thuong-hieu-che-thai-465025e/