 |
| Artisan Nguyen Thi Hai (standing in the middle) and members of the survey team take a break during their journey to explore the ancient tea plantation complex. |
The vast, steep mountain
From La Bang commune, looking up at the majestic peaks of the Tam Dao mountain range, one sees fluffy clouds drifting over a carpet of lush green vegetation. Stories about tea trees so large that a person couldn't wrap their arms around them, growing on the mountaintop, are only fleeting. But for Ms. Hai, a native of La Bang commune, a region known for its specialty tea, she vividly remembers the stories related to the ancient dragon claw tea tree.
After many sleepless nights, she thought deeply and decided to embark on a journey to the summit of Tam Dao mountain to "see with her own eyes, touch with her own hands, smell with her own nose, and taste with her own mouth" the rare tea that only grows at altitudes of thousands of meters above sea level. It was a clear, cloudless day in early March 2025. From early morning, everyone had gathered on the gravel bank by the Tien Sa stream in La Bang commune.
Besides Ms. Hai, the group also included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Duy Truong, Director of the Center for Training and Research on Plant and Animal Breeding (University of Agriculture and Forestry - Thai Nguyen University); Mr. Truong Thuy Luan, Vice President of the Dai Tu Tea Association; Mr. Hua Van Thinh, Director of the La Bang Tea Cooperative; along with representatives from the Thai Nguyen Adventure tourism brand and several forest workers who participated as guides.
Ms. Hai recounted: "We decided the trip would last a full two days. That meant we'd have to spend the night on the summit of Tam Dao mountain, so we proactively packed all the necessary supplies. We set off in a rather excited mood."
The trail winds along the Tien Sa stream. The water isn't large, trickling through rocky crevices and moss-covered vegetation. The deeper we go into the forest, the more humid the air becomes, mosquitoes swarm like a hive of bees, and the path grows increasingly difficult, each step uphill feeling like a knee digging into our chests.
She confided: "I don't know why, but despite the arduous journey, I kept going, never once losing heart. Especially when I saw someone in the group suffering from muscle cramps, their legs stiffening. We had to apply ointment, take turns helping each other through the rocky areas beside the Tien Sa stream."
The stream ended, then came a steep slope. Slope after slope. We walked in single file, each person following closely behind the one in front, climbing over large, moss-covered rocks. In many sections, we had to help each other climb over the cliff face; a single misstep could send us tumbling into the ravine. After about three hours, everyone was exhausted. Suddenly, one member of the group exclaimed in surprise upon discovering an ancient tea tree standing alone in the forest.
The guides admitted they had traveled this route a few times before, but had never seen it. Ms. Hai calmly said, "Perhaps it's only now that we're fortunate enough to see this ancient tea tree." Thus, the ancient tea tree was discovered only about a 3-hour mountain climb from the center of La Bang commune.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then picked each tea bud shaped like a dragon's claw from a painting. She carefully put the green buds into her backpack, urging everyone to continue their journey up to the forest with its many ancient dragon's claw tea trees.
The weary footsteps of the group gradually left the steep slopes behind. Reaching an altitude of over 1,300 meters above sea level, emotions overwhelmed them as a cluster of ancient dragon claw tea trees, approximately two hundred years old, appeared before them. A quick count revealed 18 trees so large that it would take a person to encircle them, surrounded by hundreds of other tea trees of varying sizes. Everyone cheered with joyful innocence like children. Ancient dragon claw tea trees! Ancient dragon claw tea trees… each tree reaching high to bask in the sunlight.
Turn your dreams into reality.
As a native of La Bang, Ms. Hai, like many other farmers, spent her childhood surrounded by tea plantations. From the moment she was born, she could sense the pungent aroma of freshly picked tea leaves. Then came the fragrant scent of roasted tea, like a golden field of ripe rice rushing back to her.
 |
| Tourists experience the tea processing process at the La Bang Tea Cooperative. |
Tea plants provide a livelihood for many people at the foot of Tam Dao mountain. But not so long ago, the tea was delicious and flavorful, but customers turned their backs on it because it lacked a brand. She harbored a burning desire to build a brand for La Bang tea.
To realize her idea, in 2006 she successfully persuaded nine tea-growing households in the area to join the La Bang Tea Cooperative. The establishment of the cooperative created a new atmosphere for tea production and business. Member households collaborated and agreed on a production plan that avoided pesticides and limited the use of inorganic fertilizers. In 2008, the cooperative's tea products were granted a new trademark by the Intellectual Property Office ( Ministry of Science and Technology ) for La Bang tea.
To make "La Bang" tea known to consumers, she organized a series of promotional activities, introducing the product by offering free samples at trade fairs across all three regions of the country. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, cooperative members actively produced and processed tea according to the VietGAP-certified organic tea value chain. Once the cooperative's tea products became consumer-friendly, in 2010 the members unanimously agreed to drop the name "La Bang tea" and use the name of their hometown, "La Bang tea."
The cooperative's efforts and achievements were recognized by state authorities, including the awarding of one 4-star and two 3-star OCOP products. Notably, the cooperative's Dinh Tam Tea product was selected as a gift at the APEC 2017 Summit. In 2024, at a public auction during the local Tea Festival, the cooperative's product was sold for 68 million VND/kg.
The story of this woman, passionate about tea, is encapsulated in the sweet, earthy flavor of a pot of tea. Few know that it was a long journey spanning almost a lifetime to successfully realize her dream of creating a brand for La Bang tea.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202602/nghe-nhan-nguyen-thi-hai-voi-giac-mo-che-mong-rong-c480a98/
![[Photo] Prime Minister Le Minh Hung presides over the thematic session on promoting science and technology development and innovation.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/23/1782207872934_ndo_br_dsc-1724-jpg.webp)
