Tea forest tells a hundred-year story

Artisan Mong Dong Vu carefully measures each tea tree, many tea trees have a trunk circumference of up to 60cm.

Go to the mountains to find the scent of fairy tales

In the cool weather of late autumn, I and artist Mong Dong Vu, a famous tea researcher of Thai Nguyen province, set out to find a rare ancient tea forest in the middle of the tea land of Thailand. The motorbike creaked up the hill, taking us along the winding road to Hoa Binh hamlet. In the distance, Dat Ngao waterfall splashed white foam like a silk strip on the mountainside. Mist drifted over the Tam Dao range, making the land seem closer to the sky.

Thien Tay Truc Pagoda and Temple nestle on the mountainside, hidden in the thin mist. According to local documents, the pagoda was built in the 15th century, restored during the Mac Dynasty and restored in 1993. In the temple, Mother Earth, Lady of the Upper Realm, and 18 dukes are worshiped; in the pagoda, a thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Quan Am is worshiped, made of jackfruit wood with delicate carvings.

The caretaker of this place is the head monk Vu Xuan Thuan, nearly 90 years old, from Hai Duong . Mr. Thuan went up the mountain when he was a teenager and has spent his whole life attached to the ancient temple. Pointing to two large pine trees in the front yard that were cut down not long before, Mr. Thuan said: When I came here, this place still had a lot of forest.

The temple is located under the canopy of an ancient pine forest that towers year-round. After many changes, only this “old pine” remains. A few years ago, it was struck by lightning and had to be cut down by a large crane. Perhaps I have a connection with Buddhism, so I “rooted” here. I only hope to preserve the temple and the forest for future generations.

In front of the temple yard, three tea trees over six meters tall, with white trunks and bases larger than an adult’s thigh, stand out against the green moss. Around them, there are more than 30 smaller tea trees growing among the forest trees, creating a unique ancient tea forest.

Truc Lam Tay Truc Zen Monastery.

Having traveled to famous tea regions from Suoi Giang, Lung Phin, Ta Xua, to Pho Nhi (China)..., artisan Mong Dong Vu said he had never seen a place where tea trees grow naturally in the forest like here. Blending with the layers of forest canopy, tea trees in Thien Tay Truc are not planted, but grow naturally. They reach up to find light, living persistently in the humidity and shade.

Ancient tea roots by Co Chin well

“There are many more tea trees under Co Chin’s well,” said Ms. Hong, Mr. Thuan’s daughter-in-law. Following 100 concrete steps down, I came across a small shrine across the mountainside. The upper floor worships Co Chin, next to it is a round well built of red bricks, with clear water all year round, the sweet and cool taste seems to permeate deep into the heart.

People have long said: This well never dries up, this land is blessed with good fortune! In recent years, many visitors have come to visit the temple and then come down here to burn incense, drink well water to pray for luck and children...

Then Ms. Hong took us to explore the ancient tea trees growing nearby. Around the well, about a dozen ancient tea trees stood silently under the forest canopy. The trunks were large, about 15-20cm in diameter, nearly ten meters high, growing naturally in a lush green arc. According to the experience of tea growers, their lifespan was about 200 years.

“No one planted this tea, it grew naturally in the forest, and just kept growing” - Ms. Hong shared. According to Ms. Hong and Mr. Thuan, in the past, behind the pagoda there were many big tea trees, and according to the law, some old trees died on their own.

Ancient tea trees around Co Chin well.

For generations, Thai Nguyen has been known as the “capital of Vietnamese tea”. In the Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, the section on Thai Nguyen products states: Southern tea: Produced in Phu Luong, Dong Hy, Dai Tu, Pho Yen, tastes better than tea from other places. Nearly two hundred years ago, Thai Nguyen had four districts with tea and historians have confirmed the special deliciousness of Thai Nguyen tea.

The ancient tea trees in Thien Tay Truc may be descendants of the traditional “nam” tea variety, the ancestors of today’s midland tea variety. And starting from this tea variety, this place has become one of the key tea material areas of Thai Nguyen province.

Quan Chu commune has had a tradition of growing and processing tea since the 60s, until the 80s, there was a time when the tea area here reached more than 480 hectares. With a fresh bud output of over 1,000 tons/year. And the black tea here is very famous, has gone beyond the national scope, exported to the Soviet Union (former) and Eastern European countries...

I picked the buds with artisan Mong Dong Vu, dried them, and then brewed them. The tea was a golden green, with a light fragrance and a sweet aftertaste that lingered on the tip of my tongue. “The tea here is sweeter and more fragrant than regular tea, maybe thanks to the water from Co Chin’s well!” I blurted out.

Ancient camellia leaves and flowers.

Mr. Vu smiled, lifted his steaming cup of tea, and said slowly: Partly, but the climate here is cool all year round, very favorable for the development of tea trees. And these ancient midland tea trees are the "ancestors" of Thai tea, a "treasure" that needs to be preserved.

As Mr. Vu said, not only does it have biological value, the ancient tea forest is also a testament to the harmony between nature and religion.

Afternoon falls. In the middle of the forest, the temple bells ring leisurely. The ancient tea trees still stand there, growing wildly and proudly. Each leaf and each branch seems to contain the breath of heaven and earth, the soul of the tea people. The ancient tea trees here are not only products, but also memories, living heritage.

Today, the ancient tea forest of Thien Tay Truc is preserved by Mr. Thuan and the local people as a part of the soul of the land. Each tea tree, each leaf carries within it the enduring vitality and pride of the people. And I believe that one day, when mentioning Thai tea, people will remember Thien Tay Truc - where the ancient tea trees are still proudly green in the middle of the forest.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202510/rung-che-ke-chuyen-tram-nam-0993622/