Fragrant valleys

On the endless, sprawling hillsides, the tea plantations seem to stretch on and on, vast and undulating. Amidst this verdant landscape, a lingering mist mingles with the fragrance of the sky, the earth, the mountains, and the scents of renowned teas like Oolong, Tam Chau, Tram Anh, and Tuyet Ngoc… The aromas are like the essence distilled from the heavens and earth, and the calloused, hardworking hands of the women of the highlands.

A tea plantation in Bao Loc.

Tea hills stretching across centuries

Located at an altitude of nearly 1000m above sea level, Bao Loc city ( Lam Dong province) resembles a giant valley with interwoven mountain ranges. The highest peak is the Dai Binh mountain range (approximately 1200m), acting as a wall separating the west and east. The city has two main national highways: National Highway 20 connecting to Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City, and National Highway 55 connecting to Phan Thiet, which have helped Bao Loc transform and quickly become a well-known urban center. But above all, the city's greatest brand is tea, with a history of approximately 100 years and grown extensively throughout the region. From vast plantations spanning hillsides, valleys, and streams to small gardens of the local highlanders, almost every available space in this red soil plateau is covered in tea. Tea is not just a part of this city, but it is the very essence of it.

I remember the first time, more than 10 years ago, we arrived in Bao Loc on an early morning bus, or rather, in the early hours of the morning. The driver stopped at a small coffee shop at the Loc Nga intersection. Looking back, I realize it was a lucky trip because I had the chance to watch the young city (at that time) transform from dawn. The small coffee shop, located along National Highway 20, was open all night, overlooking a valley with long, winding alleys through the tea hills. The roads in Bao Loc are easily visible from above, their distinctive red soil contrasting with the green of the tea plants. Around 6 a.m., when the sun was brighter, the lingering clouds would dissipate, with only a few remaining on the mountaintops. At this time, tea pickers would begin their day on their rickety motorbikes, their tires and rims rusted from the red soil. Children would also stream out from the alleys in the valley to head to school on the highway. Later, my friend took me to the tea hills in Bo Lao Xe Re, Loc Thanh, Loc Phat, Loc An… immersing me in the lifestyle of the local people, as it has been for hundreds of years. That is, picking green tea. After hundreds of years, only the tea plants and the women who pick the tea remain unchanged in this land. Ma women, both old and young, carry baskets on their backs, their faces tanned, and their hands move swiftly across the tea rows like artists engrossed in a symphony of nature. According to Ms. Ka Thoa, 34 years old, a Ma woman in Loc Thanh commune, even without looking closely, they still pick tea according to the standard of "one bud and two leaves" or "one bud and three leaves," depending on the company's requirements. “We are all hired to pick tea leaves for the company. Depending on the time of year or season, the company will specify which types of tea leaves to pick to ensure the corresponding product quality. During the dry season, when tea leaves are scarce and small, we might pick three or even four leaves. The daily wage is calculated from 150,000 to 200,000 dong. Each person carries a basket on their back; once the basket is full, the tea is put into a large sack, and at the end of the day, the company's truck comes to weigh it and pay. The work isn't strenuous, but it requires diligence and especially practice. This means that newcomers produce lower quality tea, mainly because they pick old leaves and tender leaves mixed in with the tea buds,” Ms. Ka Thoa recounted. According to her, she, along with her mother and several other women from the hamlet, leave early in the morning, bringing their own lunch. They only return home late at night, but in the early afternoon, her eldest daughter comes to help her mother pick tea. Although she is in 10th grade, she spends half a day helping her mother every day.

The women pick tea leaves.

Looking down at the hands of that highland woman, even though she was just chatting with us, both her hands glided over the tender, jade-green tea leaves that jutted upwards towards the sky. Furthermore, Ms. Ka Thoa explained that after the tea is harvested, the company uses machines or scissors to cut off the leaves and tips to use as raw materials and flavoring for green tea, and also to encourage the tea plants to grow more new buds in the next harvest. Typically, the harvested tea buds are reserved for processing into the finest tea. The cut tea is of lower quality and is only a byproduct. But here, it's not just Ms. Ka Thoa and her acquaintances; there are dozens of women, all alike, carrying baskets on their backs and wearing wide-brimmed conical hats. The tea hills are quite low, round like mounds of sticky rice, stretching across the gently sloping valley, then curving around and climbing up the next hill. And so, the hills and valleys of tea seem to stretch endlessly, one after another. According to the workers, although harvesting can be done year-round (each harvest spaced one to one and a half months apart), the main season only lasts about 5 months, from October to March of the following year. During this time, the Central Highlands experience abundant rainfall, allowing the tea plants to grow faster and produce more buds, while during the dry season, even with irrigation, the tea plants develop much more slowly. Naturally, this also significantly reduces the income of the workers in the highlands.

For over 10 years, many investors from Japan, South Korea, China, and other countries have come to Bao Loc to establish businesses in tea cultivation and processing. The reputation of tea from these gently sloping valleys has spread not only among the people of Bao Loc and within Vietnam, but also across the continent. Bao Loc tea seems to conquer even the most demanding markets, helping tea cultivation thrive and establish itself firmly in this region. Some locals say that in recent years, the "durian boom" and then the coffee boom have brought huge profits to farmers in the Central Highlands, leading to the felling and replacement of many other crops. Bao Loc, with its cool climate suitable for both crops, has remained largely unaffected. It's worth adding that, besides tea, coffee has also been closely associated with the Bao Loc region for many years. The fact that tea plants have remained resilient amidst the rapid changes in other crops with greater benefits shows that, in addition to their economic value, tea plants are also a cultural feature, an indispensable part of these misty valleys, and not simply a source of profit.

Tracing back through history, tea cultivation began in Bao Loc about 100 years ago, when the French recognized the suitability of the climate and soil there. At that time, Bao Loc was called B'lao, a name in the ancient local language meaning "thin, low-flying clouds." Despite its relatively low altitude, the mountainous and valley geological structure of B'lao meant it was often shrouded in clouds and fog in the evenings and early mornings. Even now, these clouds remain a unique feature of the mountainous region of B'lao, captivating many visitors. Meanwhile, in some higher-altitude areas like Da Lat, morning fog and clouds are less common due to rapid urbanization.

A corner of Tra Pagoda.

Slow living in the kingdom of tea

Like all other beautiful places, Bao Loc began to attract many tourists with its unique products. Despite the slight disadvantage of being geographically close to Da Lat (about 100 kilometers), Bao Loc still possesses unique charms that draw people to visit, to linger, and to experience the tranquility of its mountains and forests. More and more people are choosing Bao Loc as a destination instead of just a stopover on their trip to Da Lat. It offers hotels and homestays where you can admire the clouds and mountains, the rustling of towering pine forests, the roaring waterfalls of the rainy season, and the gentle babbling streams of the dry season. Furthermore, thanks to the highway system, travel time from Ho Chi Minh City, the major southern city, to Bao Loc is only about 4 hours. Even more importantly, as a young (established in 2010) and small city, the unspoiled beauty of its mountains and forests remains almost completely intact. Most notably, many of the well-known tourist destinations in Bao Loc are also associated with tea cultivation.

In fact, the vast Central Highlands region has many tea-growing areas. From the Langbian Plateau, Da Nhim, Tan Ha to Di Linh, Dinh Trang Thuong… one can easily find tea plants interspersed with coffee, pepper, and other fruit trees. But for some reason, it was only in Bao Loc that I truly felt the gentle, pure aroma. Perhaps it's because the people here cultivate so much tea, earning it the nickname "Tea Kingdom," or perhaps it's because in other parts of the Central Highlands, tea is grown sparsely on a few hillsides, not occupying the entire expanse of land, mountains, and forests like in Bao Loc.

A view of the Linh Quy Pháp Ấn Gate.

In that fragrant tea-scented space, I remember a special "specialty": the temples nestled halfway up the tea hills. There are many temples, but those situated on the vast green tea hills seem to create a more meditative and tranquil atmosphere amidst the hustle and bustle of the world. If entering a temple gives you a sense of peace, then a temple surrounded by a subtle fragrance brings a tenfold sense of tranquility. I remember our first visit to Tra Pagoda, a temple with a name characteristic of Bao Loc, located on the outskirts of the city, right next to Nam Phuong Lake, was on a morning with light rain. The pagoda was small and sparsely populated. Only two or three figures in brown robes could be seen walking slowly among the tea bushes. To say we entered another world isn't quite accurate. Because Bao Loc, despite being a third-tier city, still retains the peacefulness of the mountains and forests. Nevertheless, the space within Tra Pagoda is still a different world within the tranquil world of this small city. A world fragrant with the scent of tea, meditation, peace, and transcendence. In this world, everything seems to be drawn in, calm and serene, even the tinkling sound of the temple bells echoing in the distance. According to locals, the Tea Pagoda was built only about a decade ago, with a design strongly influenced by Vietnamese style: red tiled roofs, simple walls, and small pavilions on either side for enjoying tea and admiring the scenery. Because the pagoda is located near the hilltop, behind and on both sides are tea hills, and the road leading to it is covered in the vibrant golden hues of wild sunflowers during the end of the year. In front, also a highlight, is the emerald green Nam Phuong Lake, which provides water for many city residents.

Bao Loc is not just about Tra Pagoda. Another pagoda is Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda (Loc Thanh commune), known by the familiar name "Heaven's Gate." While Tra Pagoda offers a peaceful and otherworldly atmosphere, Linh Quy Phap An, also nestled amidst vast tea hills, provides a photo opportunity (check-in spot) that captivates any social media community. I say "captivates" because nearly a decade ago, a photo of the pagoda's courtyard in the early morning mist, with its simple gate built with three wooden pillars, and the distant tea valley and a few small houses, went viral on social media, creating a sensation among young people. Many groups were created solely to invite people to check in at that "Heaven's Gate." Even foreign newspapers published articles and praised the courtyard of Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda. It should also be added that this temple was built not for the purpose of attracting tourists, but simply because of its location on the mountain. Previously, there was a small, ancient temple belonging to the local people, which was later expanded, including the main hall, the courtyard, and the famous "Heaven's Gate."

We arrived at Linh Quy Phap An on a sunny afternoon. Bao Loc is a peculiar place. Rain and sunshine change very quickly, without warning. Many people say that you can experience all four seasons in a single day in Bao Loc. The mornings are cool, requiring thick warm clothing; the afternoons are hot and humid, but under the shade of trees, the weather is pleasantly mild; and the evenings are cold and foggy, sometimes resembling light rain. Linh Quy Phap An is no different. From the foot of the mountain, near Hill 45, it's about a kilometer up a steep mountain path through tea and coffee plantations to reach the temple. Besides walking, locals offer motorbike rides for this distance, as the temple is a popular pilgrimage destination, even for older people. The temple is quite large and solidly built. Like many others, I stood at the "gate to heaven" in the temple courtyard, gazing into the distance. Although not as magically beautiful as the photos online, it truly is a place of transcendence in the literal sense. The simple wooden gate in the temple courtyard seems to open up to another world. A world that is just a small part of Bao Loc city, with its rolling hills of tea and coffee plantations, and villages inhabited by ethnic minorities interspersed with people from the lowlands. Even on a sunny day, clouds still linger on the distant peaks of Dai Binh mountain, adding to the mystical beauty of the scene.

While Da Lat city attracts tourists with its strategically advertised and designed products, Bao Loc city draws people in with its inherent natural beauty. This includes the aroma not only of its famous teas but also of the mountains, forests, sky, and people of this region.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/nhung-thung-lung-thom-huong-10294150.html