Thai Nguyen Tea - A hundred-year heritage and aspiration to reach further

Not only is it a story about a famous drink, it is also a journey to preserve and cultivate the cultural values ​​of generations of people in the land of "The First Famous Tea". Over hundreds of years, from the hands of many hardworking people, tea trees have grown and are present in almost all areas of Thai Nguyen province, a green color full of vitality, crystallizing into the beauty of the cultural brand of the land of Tea. Inheriting that heritage, Thai Nguyen continues to nurture the aspiration to reach out, conquer the international market with quality and identity, aiming for a national brand.

Over the centuries, thanks to the hard work of countless dedicated hands, tea plants have flourished and are now present throughout most areas of Thai Nguyen province, crystallizing into a beautiful cultural hallmark of the tea region.

In the photo:

Tourists enjoy Thai Nguyen tea.

From the land of "The First Famous Tea"

When Thai Nguyen tea conquered the American market, the people of the province gained even more pride in their product, which had passed a series of inspection processes using state-of-the-art equipment.

Furthermore, Thai Nguyen tea has achieved the European MRLs standard, a rigorous measure of quality and safety. With this "certification," the province's tea products are eligible to access markets across all continents.

Royal Shrimp Tea product of Phu Do Safe Tea Cooperative (Vo Tranh commune) was honored to win the Bronze prize at the Golden Leaf Awards 2024.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, President of the Thai Nguyen Tea Association, said: "Over the years, the province's tea industry has diversified its products, promoted advanced and sophisticated processing, and achieved high quality; many products have even won awards at international tea competitions."

Nevertheless, there is still great potential for improving the quality and value of Thai Nguyen tea. To realize this goal, tea-growing regions need practical support from scientists and technologies capable of meeting international standards.

Because of its uniquely delicious flavor, nutritional value, and disease-preventing properties, tea has been an integral part of human life since ancient times. However, Thai Nguyen tea truly underwent a transformation, becoming a key economic crop, a milestone set in September 2017. This was achieved when the Intellectual Property Office (Ministry of Science and Technology) granted a Certificate of Registration for the Geographical Indication "Tan Cuong" for the tea product.

Tea picking competition in Tan Cuong. Photo: TL

In fact, Thai Nguyen province has had a long journey in reviving its tea-growing regions. A highlight was the Tea Festival held in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, which set many records for tea, such as: "The most well-known and prestigious tea brand"; "A product among the top valuable specialty gifts in Asia"; "The largest teapot in Vietnam"; "The most well-known tea product"; and "The tea tasting night with the most people drinking tea at the same time," with over 300 tea tables and nearly 2,000 people enjoying the tea together.

Besides the local tea varieties and imported hybrid teas, Thai Nguyen also boasts ancient Shan Tuyet tea and Kim Hoa tea. In Thai Nguyen, tea plants are grown extensively, from lowlands to the mountain slopes covered in clouds year-round. Currently, the province has approximately 24,000 hectares of tea plantations, with over 22,000 hectares in production. Many groups and individuals produce high-quality specialty teas, selling for up to 5 million VND per kilogram.

People in Thai Nguyen tea growing areas have additional income from tourism.

Going back in time, more than a hundred years ago, Mr. Vu Van Hiet, from Hung Yen province, went to Tan Cuong with farmers to reclaim hills and fields. He led people across Tam Dao mountain to Phu Tho tea-growing region to obtain seeds for planting and cultivation, creating a type of tea with one bud and two leaves. When this dried tea is added to boiling water, it expands, resembling a flock of cranes flying back to their auspicious land. In 1935, at the Hanoi Trade Fair, Mr. Hiet's "Crane Wing" tea, along with that of people from Thai Nguyen, was honored with first prize.

The "Cánh Hạc" tea product is essentially a type of tea that is roasted continuously, "one bud and two leaves," and was popular until the early 1990s. Then, with the market mechanism, tea growers in the region were free to innovate, creating many different products with more attractive packaging. Since then, the "one bud, two leaves" tea product has been like a flock of cranes flying away to a fairytale land, giving way to new tea products such as young shoots, tender leaves, and matcha, which suit the needs of modern consumers.

Huong Van Tra Cooperative brings the flavor of Thai Nguyen tea to Japanese tourists at the 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival held in Hai Phong City.

To strong brands today

One of the pioneering tea-producing units in Thai Nguyen province on the path to global economic integration is the Tan Huong Tea Cooperative in Dai Phuc commune. Since the end of 2011, the cooperative's tea products have been certified by Solidaridad and Unilever as meeting the international UTZ Certified standard (traceable production), becoming the first Vietnamese tea product to meet all the requirements for integration and circulation in the international market.

Product quality is the root of a strong brand. This is the driving force that motivates tea farmers to prioritize producing high-quality products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Ha Thai Tea Joint Stock Company (An Khanh commune), said: In 2016, the company's Shrimp Bud Tea product was awarded a Silver prize by the American and Canadian Tea Association. Currently, the company is investing heavily in flavored teas, black tea, oolong tea, matcha, and some new products such as tea essential oil, tea extract, and shower gel...

Space for displaying and enjoying Thai Nguyen tea at the Exhibition - Fair of regional specialties "Quang Ninh Autumn Colors 2025".

Regarding the story of her award-winning tea product, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly, Director of Tan Cuong Hoang Binh Tea Joint Stock Company in Tan Cuong commune, shared: "In 2017, the Department of Industry and Trade encouraged me to participate in the North American International Specialty Tea Competition. And the 'Dinh Vuong Pham' tea product that I submitted was honored to receive the Special Prize."

The stories of these women reminded me that the people directly involved in building the brand and enhancing the value of tea are women. Proof of this is the four women from the tea-growing region honored by the Vietnam Farmers' Association as outstanding farmers nationwide: Ms. Dao Thanh Hao, Director of Hao Dat Tea Cooperative (Tan Cuong commune), has elevated Tan Cuong tea into a precious gift; Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet, Director of Tuyet Huong Cooperative (Dong Hy commune), proudly had her product selected by the Organizing Committee of the 2017 APEC Vietnam Conference (held in Da Nang) as a gift for heads of state and representatives from 21 member economies; Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai, Director of La Bang Tea Cooperative (La Bang commune), implemented an environmentally friendly production process, with her product being purchased by customers at a price of 66 million VND/kg; and Ms. Vu Thi Thanh Hao, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Thinh An Tea Cooperative (Dong Hy commune), proudly boasts six product lines achieving OCOP certification from 3 to 4 stars.

Livestream sales is one of the effective methods to widely introduce and consume tea products.

Consumers are most concerned about the origin and quality of products. In response to this demand, farmers in Thai Nguyen are increasingly focusing on adhering to VietGAP standards, gradually shifting to a circular, green, clean, and sustainable agricultural model. As a result, each product produced is guaranteed safe and traceable, contributing to the reputation of Thai Nguyen agricultural products in the global market.

In the era of Industry 4.0, all exported agricultural products must undergo rigorous testing using modern equipment. Thanks to increased awareness and a green production mindset, farmers in Thai Nguyen have strongly shifted towards organic tea production, strictly adhering to regulations on pesticide residue levels.

This professionalism is contributing to building a strong brand for Thai Nguyen tea products, gradually realizing the aspiration to make tea a "billion-dollar crop" of the "Land of the Most Famous Tea".

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202512/tra-thai-nguyen-di-san-tram-nam-va-khat-vong-vuon-xa-ffe2d9f/