Lush green tea plantations in Binh An Hamlet, Bach Thong Commune, providing livelihoods for the Dao people while shaping the area’s distinctive landscape

Nestled peacefully beside the Cau River, Binh An Hamlet in Bach Thong Commune is home to a Dao community that moved down from the mountains to settle and establish livelihoods in the late 1990s. Beyond a suspension bridge spanning the gentle river, a narrow road leads into the hamlet, opening onto a tranquil landscape of lush tea gardens interspersed with fruit trees, giving this mountainous countryside its distinctive beauty.

Life was far from easy when the residents first came down from the mountains to establish the hamlet. There was little land for rice cultivation, farming was fragmented, and living conditions were difficult. Refusing to resign themselves to poverty, residents worked diligently to clear land and grow a variety of crops to improve their livelihoods, including tea.

In the 1990s, tea was grown only on a small scale in Binh An Hamlet, mainly for household consumption. Through cultivation, residents came to recognize that tea plants were well suited to the local climate and soil, producing high-quality tea with a pleasant aroma and flavor that appealed to consumers. Tea-growing areas gradually expanded, and tea became a key crop in household economic development and the main source of income for local residents.

Today, Bach Thong Commune has 9.3 hectares of tea plantations, including approximately 5 hectares in Binh An Hamlet. From its modest beginnings as a small-scale crop, tea has helped many households stabilize their livelihoods, escape poverty, and steadily improve their standard of living.

Dao women in Binh An Hamlet harvesting tea leaves on lush green tea plantations

Dang Truong Thanh’s family is among the households with a long history of tea cultivation in Binh An Hamlet. In the early morning sunlight, family members pick tender tea shoots together so they can process them that same day. According to Thanh, his family harvests approximately 0.7 metric tons of fresh tea leaves each year, generating a steady income of about VND 70 million. For his family and many other local households, tea is not only a means of making a living but also a source of pride in Binh An.

To promote coordinated, market-oriented production, improve quality, and build a brand for local products, Phieng An Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative Group (the Cooperative Group) was established in 2021, selecting tea as its flagship product. This marked an important transition from fragmented, small-scale production to coordinated production, with greater attention to processes, quality, and consumer markets.

The Cooperative Group currently cultivates approximately 2.5 hectares of tea under VietGAP standards and is gradually adopting organic, environmentally friendly practices that are safe for consumers. Alongside the traditional midland tea variety, residents have introduced additional varieties such as Kim tea, Long Van tea, and hybrid tea, enriching the range of flavors produced by the Dao community in Binh An.

Ha Thi Hau, Head of the Cooperative Group, said that residents continue to preserve and develop the traditional midland tea variety as their flagship product. This tea has a slightly bitter first taste, followed by a delicate sweetness and a subtle aroma reminiscent of young green rice, creating a distinctive and memorable aftertaste.

In addition to cultivation and care, tea growers in Binh An Hamlet pay particular attention to processing. To preserve the tea’s fine aroma and flavor, they generally harvest it on dry mornings while the shoots are still young and fresh. The leaves are processed immediately after picking, rather than left until the following day, to ensure quality.

Building on traditional experience, the Cooperative Group has invested in equipment and machinery and is gradually applying technology to tea processing. As a result, tea quality and productivity have improved, while marketing and sales have become easier. In 2021, the group’s tea product earned a three-star OCOP rating, helping bring Binh An tea to a wider market. Traders now purchase the tea directly at the processing facility at stable prices. This is a positive sign that clean, coordinated, branded production is delivering tangible benefits to local residents.

Bach Thong Commune leaders and residents demonstrating their determination to develop the Binh An tea brand in association with community-based tourism

Beyond its economic value, Binh An’s lush green tea plantations also create a distinctive landscape, attracting tourists and local residents for visits and hands-on experiences. Together with fruit gardens and the tranquil hamlet beside the Cau River, they are helping Binh An emerge as a destination with considerable potential for community-based tourism.

The hamlet was previously designated as a community-based tourism site in Bach Thong District, Bac Kan Province, and is now part of Bach Thong Commune, Thai Nguyen Province. Its scenic landscape, Dao cultural identity, and distinctive tea products provide an important foundation for tourism linked to agriculture, visitor experiences, and on-site sales of local products.

Comrade Ha Ngoc Viet, Chairman of Bach Thong Commune People’s Committee, said the commune is implementing Provincial Party Executive Committee Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU on developing Thai Nguyen’s tea industry in 2025-2030. By 2030, it aims to expand tea cultivation to more than 15 hectares and produce around 70 metric tons of fresh tea shoots. The commune will gradually expand VietGAP-compliant and organic tea production and obtain three-star OCOP certification for at least one tea product. It will also improve processing quality, strengthen links between production and sales, promote and build a tea brand associated with local cultural identity, and develop experiential tourism to increase the value of tea and create sustainable livelihoods.

During their difficult early days after moving down from the mountains, the Dao people of Binh An Hamlet worked hard to clear land, establish their first tea plantations, and gradually stabilize their lives. The aroma of Binh An tea today does more than enrich every cup; it also embodies the hard work and determination of local residents. Across the green tea plantations, people continue to develop the local economy, build the tea brand, preserve their cultural identity, and contribute to their homeland’s continued development and renewal.