Elevating the status of Son Duong tea plants.

People in Vinh Tan tea village, Tan Trao commune (Son Duong district) are harvesting tea.

A prosperous life thanks to tea cultivation.

Son Duong District is famous for its tea production and processing villages, such as: Vinh Tan village (Tan Trao commune), Dong Hoan village (Tu Thinh commune), Lien Phuong village (Phuc Ung commune), Yen Thuong village (Trung Yen commune), Dong Dai village (Hop Thanh commune), and Cay village (Minh Thanh commune). These villages are operating quite effectively and are gradually increasing the value of tea.

Vinh Tan tea village in Tan Trao commune (Son Duong district) is the first officially recognized tea production and processing village in the province. The village covers 180.2 hectares with 110 households involved in tea cultivation and processing. After nearly 10 years of development, the village is now operating stably and generating high incomes. With favorable soil and climate conditions, and the villagers' years of experience in production and quick adoption of scientific and technical advancements in tea cultivation and processing, the village's tea products have increasingly established a strong brand. The village's tea products won a bronze cup at the Thai Nguyen Tea Festival in 2015, and in 2019, Vinh Tan tea received a 3-star OCOP certification. Building on this brand, Vinh Tan tea products consistently maintain prices ranging from 150,000 to 230,000 VND/kg depending on the type of tea, with an average income exceeding 45 million VND per person per year.

Mr. Pham Van Dang, a resident of Vinh Tan village, said that his family has replaced the old tea variety with PH9 and LCT1, which are representative new varieties with high yield and good quality. Thanks to tea cultivation, his family enjoys a comfortable life, earning over 100 million VND per year. With 1 hectare of tea, during peak season, his family can produce 400 kg of dried tea per month. After selling and deducting expenses, the family earns a profit of approximately 20 million VND per month.

Tea is one of the main crops of Son Duong district, with an area of ​​over 1,800 hectares, creating jobs and stable income for a large number of workers.

In addition to provincial policies on agricultural production development, such as Resolution No. 03 of the Provincial People's Council on policies supporting the development of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic commodity production; OCOP products and new rural construction; and resolutions on the development of specialty crops and livestock, the district also allocates resources to invest in the development of traditional craft villages, such as: transferring scientific and technical advancements; supporting trade promotion and product advertising, etc. With the attention of the province and the proactive efforts of the district, tea-making villages in Son Duong district are preserved and developed.

Double benefits from developing traditional craft villages in conjunction with tourism.

Currently, Tuyen Quang province has 8 recognized craft villages, all of which are tea-producing villages in Son Duong district. Besides tea production, the people of Son Duong cultivate tea in concentrated areas, with tea hills meticulously pruned and shaped to create eye-catching designs, and the tea is cared for using clean farming practices. Visitors to the craft villages can not only admire the tea hills but also experience tea picking, processing, and enjoying hot cups of tea – all completely free. Tourists can experience tea making and purchase or gift tea products, which serves as an excellent channel for product promotion. The people of Son Duong are reaping the double benefits from the development of craft villages linked with tourism.

Ms. Dang Trung Anh from District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that this was her first time visiting Son Duong. She was very impressed with the traditional stilt houses and the overnight stay at Hoang Lau homestay in Tan Lap village. She found it very close to nature, environmentally friendly, and catered to the need for a green lifestyle. Here, she experienced and explored agricultural production activities and the daily life of farmers, such as milling rice, pounding rice, plowing fields, picking tea, and even personally preparing dishes like sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes and five-colored sticky rice. She also brewed tea herself and enjoyed the produce she harvested – a truly impressive and enjoyable experience.

Tourists enjoy the experience of picking tea leaves.

Son Duong district has identified the development of agricultural and rural tourism models based on groups such as: community tourism, agricultural tourism, ecotourism, and craft village tourism; prioritizing models associated with the preservation and promotion of cultural values ​​and environmental protection; utilizing local materials and labor; mobilizing the participation of women, the poor, ethnic minorities, and vulnerable groups to improve the lives and incomes of the people; and developing gardens, farms, ecological zones, and high-tech zones into experiential tourism destinations connected with tourist destinations in Tuyen Quang province.

Ms. Ha Thi Hong Lien, Head of the Culture Department of Son Duong District, said that the district will continue to effectively exploit the advantages of local tourism resources, strengthen the implementation of communication and promotion activities related to tea cultivation, in order to enhance the value of Son Duong tea. This will contribute to diversifying tourism products, creating livelihoods, supporting people in economic development, and alleviating poverty.

Over the three years from 2021 to 2023, Son Duong district attracted approximately 2,463,200 visitors, generating over 2,517 billion VND in social revenue from tourism.

Son Duong (Tuyen Quang): Preserving culture in conjunction with tourism development.