The hundreds of years old tea fields in Suoi Giang are the key highlights in the strategy of developing green tourism services, the identity of Van Chan district. Located in the North of Van Chan district, Yen Bai province, Suoi Giang commune is favored by nature in terms of land, cool climate of the high mountains over 1,000m above sea level to grow crops of economic value. high, it’s Shan Tuyet tea. 98% of the commune’s population is H’mong and for hundreds of years, the people have known how to grow tea. The ancient tea tree in Suoi Giang can be from 2 to 5m high, with a canopy of 2-4m wide. The tea buds are big, the shrimp has white snow, the whiter, the higher the content of micronutrients in the tea. Shan Tuyet Suoi Giang tea has long been famous at home and abroad due to its very high product quality with aroma, rich taste and rich nutrition. Currently, the commune has over 674 hectares of tea, including 193 hectares of ancient tea. “70% of households in the commune grow tea,” said Mr. Giang A Dang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Suoi Giang commune. The Secretary of the Commune Party Committee also has 3 hectares of ancient tea. The purchase price of fresh bud tea in Suoi Giang commune reached an average of 20,000 VND/kg; The production value brought to tea growers is about 20 billion VND/year. Tea is the main source of income for agricultural households in the area – said Vice Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee Mua A Giang. The price of the product depends on the type, ranging from 150,000 to 650,000 VND/kg, the delicious kind is about 3 million VND/kg – said Ms. Lam Thi Kim Thoa, Director of Suoi Giang Tea Cooperative. “The most precious tea must be made from hundreds of years old tea tree buds on high mountain peaks, covered with clouds and dew all year round, imbued with the quintessence of earth and sky. It is a high-class tea, cherished as a precious medicine, just for a gift, it can be up to 50 million VND / kg”, said Mr. Dang Thai Son – who has a deep understanding of Suoi Giang tea. Or that, now hundreds of years old ancient tea gardens, rough trunks, white mold are not only a place to provide clean raw materials for processing high-class Shan Tuyet Suoi Giang tea products, but also a tourist destination. tourist attractions. “Having to visit the garden, see firsthand the hundred-year-old tea trees, the tree stump is bigger than an adult thigh; Being able to climb the tree to pick fresh tea buds, one shrimp and two leaves, to taste the acrid taste and then enjoy the sweet aftertaste of the tea, there’s nothing more exciting than that” – Ms. Kan shared. Comrade Mai Mong Tuan – Secretary of the Van Chan District Party Committee said, the Resolution of the Party Congress of Van Chan district, term 2021 – 2026 defines: “Promoting the development of green tourism services, identity, bringing tourism to life Tourism has become an important economic sector of the district. Suoi Giang is on the list of places to develop green tourism services with local identity. In this direction, the district’s goal is to focus on protecting and developing safe, sustainable Shan Tuyet tea, organic farming; raise the value of products and develop the brand name and trademark of Suoi Giang tea in order to help growers, enterprises and cooperatives in producing, processing and trading tea to get rich from tea trees; to associate the protection and development of tea areas with the development of community eco-tourism. Mr. Dang Duy Hien – Chairman of Van Chan District People’s Committee affirmed that following the above orientation, the district will protect the integrity of Suoi Giang ancient tea area to serve the province’s eco-tourism projects. In addition, the locality organizes propaganda, training and technical transfer instructions for tea growers to understand the basic techniques to affect tea plants, help protect tea plants, increase yield and quality. and ensure the growth and development of the old tea area as well as the newly planted tea area. From this orientation and solution of the party committee, local government, Suoi Giang tea and other services that “follow” the reputation of Suoi Giang tea are facing many favorable opportunities for development in the coming time. Now, going to Suoi Giang, visitors can enjoy high-class dining and accommodation services right in the middle of ancient tea fields. Recently, a business has boldly invested tens of billions of dong to build Suoi Giang Cultural Space. From this cultural space, visitors can see the roofs of the Mong people hidden among the mountains and clouds; enjoy a quiet resting space amidst the vast green tea plantations; enjoy the national specialties, including new dishes such as grilled meat rolls, young tea leaves eaten raw with herbs; enjoy tea through a very sophisticated brewing process performed by artisans who have undergone training in the art of tea making. Secretary of the District Party Committee Mai Mong Tuan added that in the coming time, the district will focus on trademark protection, promotion and management of Suoi Giang tea brand in domestic and foreign markets; diversifying forms of business, promotion and advertising of local products. At the same time, encourage people to effectively and sustainably exploit tourism potentials; improve product quality, promote activities, develop green tourism services and identity. On the side of the people, especially the Mong ethnic people – the owner of Shan Tuyet Suoi Giang tea, they are trying to preserve the ancient tea trees in order to turn the tea fields into an indispensable destination in the tour. invest in repairing houses, preserving national cultural identity to develop community-based tourism in association with agricultural production development, creating sustainable livelihoods./.

Farmers in Ban Xen commune collect Tuyet San tea. In April, the weather is warm, poinsettias are still red on the stone fence around the green tea hills, as if they are “incubating the aroma” of heaven and earth to turn on fresh buds. We went to Ban Xen commune, sharing the joy of a bountiful spring tea crop with tea growers at the gateway of the “steel land” of Muong Khuong (Lao Cai). Crossing the winding slope from Ban Lau town to the beginning of Ban Xen commune, through the graceful greeting gate like a Nung girl’s hand beckoning, opening in front of her eyes is the green bowl of tea tenderly caressing the buds of the spring crop. summer. Tea trees have existed for decades in Bao Thang, Muong Khuong, Bac Ha, but only in Ban Xen there are nearly 700 hectares, pure and delicious Tuyet San tea is “top of the table” in the Northwest, because of its beautiful water color and fragrance. , sweet. The concentrated, high-quality tea area in Ban Xen is the living result of the Tea Planting Program of Lao Cai province over the past decades. Talking with us, Mr. Do Quy Van, this year at the age of 67, former Secretary of the Party Committee of Ban Xen commune and also a “witness” who has attached his whole life to the tea tree here shared: “It’s not easy to have it. is the largest pure tea area of ​​San Tuyet in the province as it is now. It is the result of the people in my hometown who have been “communicating with suffering” for decades now. Walking on the green tea hills, attracting the eyes, Mr. Van recalled: Around 1986, the Ban Xen people from the lowlands of Thai Binh, Hai Phong, and Ha Nam along with the indigenous peoples had ” march up the hill” put tea (seeded) to the test in this land. “She” of Tuyet San tea “drinks the sun during the day, the night sucks the dew” from the high mountains of Muong’s steel land was lowered to Ban Xen more than 400 meters above sea level, it’s not easy. At that time, officials and people pushed improved carts to collect buffalo and horse manure uphill to Thinh Guai village, Na Pha to grow tea. The commune encouraged houses that could grow 0.5 ha or more to be exempted from community labor, not having to open roads in Din Chin and Ta Gia Khau at that time. Because it is a new tree, many people are still afraid, so they have to use “lever” to create a movement, in which cooperative officials, party members, and exemplary youth unions take the lead so that the people of the Nung and Dao ethnic groups can take the lead. , Teaching lessons to follow. The day I arrived, I was lucky to meet Mr. Vang A Lai, Giay ethnic group, this year over 62 years old but still very strong, his voice sounded like a battle drum. At that time, he was a rare party member, assigned to take charge of bringing tea plants to the Thinh Gua hill area, almost every day, he ate and slept on the hillside with the tea tree. Clinging to the people, sticking to the village, clinging to the tea gradually he brought the “her” of Tuyet San tea boldly rooted in the land of Thinh Guai, Na Pha, Suoi Thau … “There were times when it seemed like failure, then I was very sad, But I am still determined to overcome difficulties and do it because of the belief that one day Tuyet tea tree will take root deeply and sustainably, blossoming green buds and spreading fragrance in this land “- Mr. Lai said. The breakthrough must have been since 2001, when the State implemented Program 135 for extremely difficult areas and Lao Cai province identified tea as the “mainstream” in the crop structure of the agricultural sector. More specifically, Lao Cai province has a Tea Planting Program, with objectives and policies to support varieties, capital and techniques for tea farmers and tea purchasing, processing and consumption establishments. Chairman of Ban Xen Commune People’s Committee – Tran Van Tien said: “With the determination of all levels, branches and efforts of farmers, Ban Xen has turned this semi-mountainous land into the “capital” of Tuyet tea. San of Muong Khuong, with 689 hectares, of which 560 hectares are being harvested, with a total output of nearly 7,000 tons of fresh buds. With the right guidelines, clear policies and mechanisms, the lowlanders of Hai Phong, Ha Nam, and Thai Binh “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the Nung, Dao, and Giay indigenous peoples… here, “abandon corn and delete cassava.” “Low productivity, low economic efficiency, quickly degraded soil to grow tea. The upside-down hills stretching from Thinh Guai, Na Pha, Suoi Thau, Na Vai, and Sang Tao… covered with the new green color of Tuyet San tea instead of cassava and corn, growing more and more young. grease, contributing to stable income, creating jobs for many local workers. Only then will it become clear that “the will of the Party and the people’s will” will come to fruition when it is linked and created as a driving force and a strength in every daily work, from cadres to people, especially in the process of eradication. hunger, reduce poverty, rise to riches in difficult lands. In Ban Xen, there is a popular saying, people call tea tree “don’t worry about rescue”, because it only has a high or low price, but it doesn’t rot, dumped like bananas and pineapples when the output is “clogged”. The Ban Xen area is often hit by hail and whirlwinds, but Tuyet San tea does not break branches or crush leaves like other trees, just bravely weaves branches and buds like the temperament of Ban Xen people. Talking about the “tea king” in Ban Xen, no one can pass Mr. Vang Din Lin, in Flat Tao village. Mr. Vang Din Lin’s family takes care of fertilizing according to the technical process of making clean tea, using only organic fertilizers, not using chemical fertilizers, so the soil is fertile, the tea tree has big buds and high yield. With nearly two hectares of tea, each year Mr. Lin and his wife earn hundreds of millions of dong. Thanks to tea, 675 out of 933 Ban Sen households have jobs and stable income sources, more millionaires, and good farmer households, such as Nong Van Truong, Nong Van Sen, Nguyen Trung Huy… Every year The commune added dozens of households out of poverty, the whole commune now has less than 4% of multidimensionally poor households. Thanks to that, Ban Xen and Ban Lau reached the new rural finish line at the earliest in Muong Khuong district, since 2015. Gone are the days of spontaneous tea making, now Ban Xen people associate making clean tea into a commodity area, shaking hands with Thanh Binh and Phong Hai tea companies to make a chain of tea products, binding each other for mutual benefit. general economic benefits. Chairman of Ban Xen commune Tran Van Tien excitedly added that Thien Phu Company is urgently completing the construction and installation of a production line for a tea processing factory located in Lung Vai commune, right next to Ban Sen tea area. The unit is committed to product consumption, instructing farmers on techniques, care, and pest control to produce safe and qualified organic tea products for export to European markets. Middle East, Taiwan (China)… The golden sun is like honey covering the tea hills that are straining the sap on each leaf, just waiting for the first rain of summer to pop up buds and buds for people and for life. At the end of Sang Tao village, Nong Van Min and his wife worked hard to prune the old branches, fertilize the tea fields with organic fertilizers to gather sap to raise young buds, waiting for the rain to come rushing in, for the spring tea generation. Satisfy the expectations of the fertiliser for a bountiful and warm tea crop.

Tea trees grow naturally or are widely grown by farmers in places with an average altitude of 800-1,000 m above sea level, with a cool climate all year round, with an average annual humidity of 85%. Products when processed are black, greenish, grayish silver; When brewed, the tea has a bright green color, a mild acrid taste, and a clear sweet aftertaste when drinking. Na Hang is characterized by a mountainous district of Tuyen Quang province, the terrain is strongly dissected with many craggy high mountains and many valleys. Shan Tuyet tea growing communes are located at high altitude, in which, Hong Thai commune has the highest point above 1,200 m, so the content of tannin and soluble substances in Shan Tuyet Na Hang tea is high. Due to its high altitude, Na Hang district has a cool climate all year round, with an average annual humidity of 85%, a large temperature range of day and night (from 10-15 degrees Celsius). This difference is one of the favorable conditions for Shan Tuyet tea plants to metabolize and accumulate nutrients to create their own flavor. People in Khau Trang village, Hong Thai commune (Na Hang) harvest Shan Tuyet tea. Photo: Tuyen Quang Provincial Investment Promotion Center tỉnh The characteristics of Shan Tuyet Na Hang tea are not only due to the impact of topographical altitude and climate, but also due to the specific soil characteristics and production methods in the locality. Specifically, Shan Tuyet tea varieties put into cultivation in the geographical area are tea plants selected by competent authorities from the top varieties. Soil grown in Na Hang district has lower content of macronutrients and intermediates than soil in Yen Son district, the same province of Tuyen Quang. The content of macronutrients and intermediates in tea soil is low partly because the climate is cool all year round, so the weathering process of the soil is slowed down and partly because people only use organic fertilizers, not chemical fertilizers. The low nutrient and medium content in the soil, the plants absorb less and this is one of the reasons for not increasing the ash content in Shan Tuyet Na Hang tea (the lower the ash, the better the tea). The geographical area for Shan Tuyet tea includes the communes: Sinh Long, Thuong Giap, Thuong Nong, Hong Thai, Khau Tinh, Son Phu in Na Hang district. A geographical indication is a sign that refers to a product originating in a particular region, locality, territory or country. It can be words, names, signs, symbols, images used to indicate that the product originates in a country, territory or locality that is characterized by quality, reputation. , the reputation or other characteristics of this good are due primarily to its geographical origin. Through a geographical indication, it is possible to identify a particular geographical area associated with the quality, reputation and unique characteristics of the product that are available only in that place. Geographical indication protection brings many benefits, from economic development, promoting products of a region to protecting the interests of consumers.