From lotus-scenting experiences to activities connecting tea processing, promotion, and market expansion, Thai Nguyen tea is gaining value through culture and tourism. Interest from South Korean businesses is creating further opportunities for local tea products to reach international markets, not only through their quality but also through the story of the land, its people, and the identity of the Tea Land.
South Korean business delegation experiencing the art of scenting tea with lotus flowers at Huong Van Tra Cooperative
In a culture-rich setting in Thai Nguyen’s Tea Land, visitors from South Korea could not conceal their excitement as they experienced the art of making lotus-scented tea for the first time. Amid the pure fragrance of lotus flowers blended with the distinctive young-rice aroma of Thai Nguyen tea, members of the South Korean business delegation carefully and skillfully tucked each tea bud inside a blossom.
Holding a product he had made himself, Lee Jun, Director of WITH International Joint Stock Company, shared: “Lotus petals are very delicate, so they must be handled carefully to avoid tearing them. Only after seeing the process and making such an impressive product myself did I understand why the brewed tea has such a distinctive fragrance. I truly hope this wonderful cultural-experience model can also be introduced in South Korea.”
Beyond the art of scenting tea, the South Korean business delegation’s visit to the lush green tea hills opened a new perspective on the value of Vietnamese agricultural products. After seeing how Thai Nguyen farmers carefully tend each tea plant to clean-production standards, Kim Hoon Kyu, Chief Executive Officer of PIPE BANK’s business division (PEM PIPE Bank–Polytec Group, South Korea), affirmed: “Vietnamese tea is not merely a delicious beverage; behind it lies a cultural story and a rich history. When we return home, we will certainly promote it so that more South Korean consumers know Vietnamese tea, while also bringing friends and partners back here to experience this special flavor firsthand.”
Lotus-scenting tea at Huong Van Tra Cooperative
That strong impression of quality and cultural depth has translated into concrete action. A strategic cooperation agreement between Huong Van Tra Cooperative and South Korea’s PEM PIPE Bank–Polytec Group has officially been established, marking a new turning point in exporting the cultural value of Vietnamese tea.
Nguyen Thi Huong Van, Director of Huong Van Tra Cooperative, shared the long-term vision: “Our strategic direction is to turn tea plants and tea products into an integrated economic sector, where green agriculture, modern processing, experiential tourism, and cultural exports come together.”
Ms. Van outlined a near future in which a comprehensive green ecosystem takes shape: “Imagine an ideal confluence, where fragrant lotus ponds lie beside vast tea hills. International visitors come here not only to buy tea, but to live within a cultural space and connect with nature and local people. That fragrance and those experiences will remain in their hearts long after they leave Thai Nguyen.”
Discussion, exchange, and international cooperation program at Huong Van Tra Cooperative contributing to cultural exchanges between Vietnam and South Korea
According to Nguyen Tri Dung, Deputy Head of the Farmers’ Affairs Committee of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, green and experiential tourism trends are opening a golden opportunity for the locality. Following planning and consolidation, Thai Nguyen has expanded from the former “Four Great Tea Regions” to the “Five Great Tea Regions” - five renowned tea-growing areas that are being systematically preserved and developed. The province is also working to turn these tea areas into community-tourism hubs, creating sustainable livelihoods and multiplying added value for farmers.
The strategic partnership between Huong Van Tra Cooperative and its South Korean partners is clear evidence of the vision to internationalize the Vietnamese tea brand. The signed agreement is not merely a commercial arrangement, but a comprehensive farm-to-market strategy under which the two sides will improve quality, diversify tea varieties, apply traceability systems, and redesign packaging to meet the demanding preferences of the South Korean market in particular and international markets in general.
Under the cooperation agreement, the South Korean side will provide support, facilitate connections, and transfer advanced technological solutions for preservation, deep processing, and packaging. Applying environmentally friendly, energy-saving production lines and digital transformation in production management will help raise productivity and reduce costs while maintaining the most stringent food-safety standards.
In addition to placing tea in supermarket chains and retail systems in South Korea, the two sides will jointly develop modern distribution channels and use e-commerce to bring products to end consumers as quickly as possible.
The agreement’s long-term vision includes exploring the establishment of a joint venture, investing in a deep-processing plant, building a logistics center for exports, and, notably, creating a tea-culture experience center in Thai Nguyen’s tea-growing area.
Representatives of Huong Van Tra Cooperative and South Korean partners signing a strategic cooperation agreement to develop Vietnamese tea brands in international markets
For the Thai Nguyen tea brand to affirm its position on the world tea map, it is necessary not only to focus on product sales but also to change mindsets and gradually shift from “selling tea” to “selling cultural experiences,” and from traditional cultivation to building a “green circular ecosystem.” The cooperation agreement between Huong Van Tra and South Korean businesses is expected to be an important starting point, opening a new direction for promotion and value enhancement, helping Thai Nguyen tea in particular and Vietnamese tea in general reach broader international markets while carrying the cultural values and dedication of Vietnamese tea makers.