Thai Nguyen tea - From local product to symbol of integration

Amid industrial growth and global integration, Thai Nguyen retains a unique hallmark: tea. From a traditional agricultural product, Thai Nguyen tea is gradually becoming a cultural symbol and a key element of the province’s identity on the map of integration.

The distinctive taste of Thai Nguyen tea, enduring through time.

Currently, Thai Nguyen leads the country in tea-growing area, productivity, and output. Thai Nguyen tea is steadily expanding into international markets. Each year, the province exports more than 5,000 tons of tea, with products present in many markets such as the Middle East, North America, Europe, and Asia. Notably, in 2025, the value of the Thai Nguyen tea sector reached approximately USD 550 million, and the province has set a target to make tea a billion-dollar industry by 2030, turning it into a strategic export product of Vietnam.

Mr. Tran Van Thai, Director of Thai Sinh Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, said: “Like other tea producers in Tan Cuong, we can clearly see that compared to the past, tea now brings much higher value. Previously, we only produced one main type of tea, commonly known as 'moc cau' tea. But now, we are producing higher-end teas such as 'tom non' tea and 'dinh' tea, which are very high in value”.

Thai Nguyen tea buds are shaped by the soil, climate, and the diligent hands of tea growers.

Beyond economic value, Thai Nguyen tea is being positioned as a “cultural language” in the process of integration. In external relations, investment promotion, and international exchanges, a cup of green tea often becomes the way to open conversations, creating a friendly and refined space for dialogue. Along with the development of organic tea, compliance with VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, and the application of traceability technologies, Thai Nguyen tea is becoming increasingly competitive in the global market.

Ms. Dao Thanh Hao, Director of Hao Dat Tea Cooperative, shared: “As tea producers, we hope that Thai Nguyen Province will have appropriate mechanisms to support tea products in integrating into international markets. Currently, we already have many tea products that have achieved national-level OCOP certification, with strong connectivity value and very high economic value”.

From green tea hillsides to tea tables at diplomatic and external affairs activities, the journey of Thai Nguyen tea shows that integration does not only begin with major economic sectors, but also with enduring cultural values, like the aroma of green tea that continues to spread day by day.