High in the misty mountains of Thai Nguyen, 740 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees are providing livelihoods while opening new opportunities for specialty tea and tourism.
Amid the seas of clouds in Dong Phuc, Thai Nguyen Province, centuries-old Shan Tuyet tea trees continue to thrive. More than a source of income, they are a valuable heritage opening new opportunities for specialty products and highland tourism.
Century-old tea trees in the mountains
Centuries-old Shan Tuyet tea trees remain firmly rooted on the high mountain slopes of Dong Phuc Commune in Thai Nguyen Province.
Following the steep road into the tea-growing area while morning mist still blankets the mountains, a peaceful craft village gradually emerges amid the greenery.
The high-altitude terrain, fresh and cool climate, high humidity and significant temperature differences between day and night create favorable conditions for Shan Tuyet tea to grow.
Ancient tea trees with thick, gnarled, moss-covered trunks stretch their branches into lush green canopies along the mountain slopes.
According to local statistics, Dong Phuc Commune is home to around 740 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees across seven villages, within a total of 309.2 hectares of productive tea plantations.
The trees are around 97 years old on average, with an average height of 5.3 meters and an average trunk diameter of 19.2 centimeters.
After decades, and in some cases more than a century, of growing in largely natural conditions, this indigenous tea variety has developed strong resilience and is relatively resistant to pests and diseases.
Its plump buds, covered in distinctive fine white hairs, are hand-picked and processed into teas with a delicate aroma, mild astringency and lingering sweet aftertaste.
From early morning, as the first rays of sunlight break through the mist, local residents head up the hillsides to pick tea.
Carrying bamboo baskets, they carefully select buds that meet harvesting standards, working quickly but gently to avoid bruising the leaves and preserve the quality of the raw material.
For the people of Dong Phuc, Shan Tuyet tea is more than a source of income. It is deeply intertwined with their way of life and farming traditions passed down through generations.
Farmers continue to use nature-friendly cultivation methods, avoiding inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and chemical pesticides.
Most of the work is done manually, with weeds cleared two or three times a year and well-composted animal manure used as fertilizer.
After weeds are cut, a thin layer of vegetation is left around the base of the trees to retain moisture and reduce soil erosion and runoff during the rainy season.
This approach has helped preserve the natural ecological environment of the tea-growing area.
Trieu Ich Bao, a resident of Bang Phuc 3 Village, said his family has more than two hectares of tea, including around one hectare of ancient Shan Tuyet trees between 70 and 100 years old.
“When my parents moved here from Cao Bang in 1996, these ancient tea trees were already here,” Bao said.
“At first, our family simply picked the leaves and boiled them for drinking. Later, we learned how to process the tea for sale. We used to make mainly traditional green tea, but now we have moved into deeper processing to produce premium black tea.”
From heritage trees to commercial brands
Ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees in Dong Phuc have been recognized as Vietnamese Heritage Trees.
In December 2025, 12 Shan Tuyet tea trees in Dong Phuc were recognized as Vietnamese Heritage Trees by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment.
The recognition has helped attract visitors to the area to see the trees and purchase tea, contributing to greater product value.
The Bang Phuc Shan Tuyet tea collective trademark has also received protection, while the Bang Phuc Shan Tuyet Tea Processing Craft Village was officially recognized by the provincial People’s Committee in March 2026.
These recognitions have helped affirm the historical value, precious genetic resources and cultural identity of the tea-growing region while creating new opportunities to bring its products to a broader market.
Finding stable markets, however, remains a challenge.
Nearly 50% of the tea output is still processed by local households using basic methods and sold at periodic markets, resulting in unstable prices that do not fully reflect the product’s potential value.
To change this approach, residents have spent more than a year forming cooperative groups and working with businesses to standardize harvesting and processing procedures.
According to Ha Van Kien, head of the Bang Phuc Shan Tuyet Tea Craft Village self-management group, companies including Sachstea JSC and Ngoc Thang Agricultural Development and Medicinal Plant Processing Co., Ltd. have joined these partnerships.
Instead of simply being manually processed and sold as raw tea, freshly harvested buds are now put through production lines to create a wider range of products, including black tea, white tea and tea bags.
On July 5, 2026, the Dong Phuc Commune People’s Committee signed a memorandum of understanding with Quan Chu Tea JSC on a project linking raw-material growing areas and increasing the value of specialty Shan Tuyet tea in Dong Phuc.
The project aims to develop an organic-oriented tea-growing area covering 300-500 hectares.
Plump Shan Tuyet tea buds covered in fine white hairs produce tea with a distinctive flavor.
Fresh tea leaves are dried and processed into a variety of products.
Trieu Duc Thong, vice chairman of the Dong Phuc Commune People’s Committee, said the locality has identified planning, conservation of genetic resources and expansion of tea-growing areas as key priorities.
Under the draft master plan for Dong Phuc Commune through 2045, around 2,000 hectares of land with suitable conditions are expected to be designated for the development of a large-scale concentrated tea-growing region.
The commune also plans to develop Shan Tuyet tea alongside experiential tourism while calling for businesses to invest in deeper processing, scientific and technological applications, and value-chain development.
“We hope the province will introduce additional support mechanisms and soon develop a geographical indication for Bang Phuc Shan Tuyet tea during the 2026-2030 period to improve the product’s competitiveness,” Thong said.
According to Thong, the 2026 International Tea Festival will provide an important opportunity to showcase the ancient tea-growing region and the cultural identity of local ethnic communities to domestic and international visitors.
Vietnamnet.vn
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