In Hang Dong commune, it's not hard to find the ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees, with trunks covered in moss and lush canopies, bearing fresh, green tea buds. No one knows exactly when these ancient tea trees were planted, but the elderly locals say they saw these tea trees from their childhood.

Currently, Hang Dong commune has over 40 hectares of Shan Tuyet tea trees, from 60 to 300 years old. Trees over a century old are typically found in protected forests, while those of 60-80 years old are mainly concentrated in Chong Tra, Hang Dong, and Lang Sang hamlet.

The family of Mua A Lao in Hang Dong hamlet has a garden of centuries-old Shan Tuyet tea trees, some of which are as big as a person's hug. Lao shared that his family has 45 ancient tea trees. Caring for these trees is not difficult.

Each year, his family only needs to clear weeds around the base 3-4 times. After each harvest, they prune the branches to encourage better growth and make harvesting easier. They also strictly avoid using pesticides.

The tea harvesting season lasts from March to October each year, and only the buds with one young shoot and two leaves are picked in the early morning to ensure the best quality tea.

Each week, about 30 kg of fresh tea buds are harvested, sold for 70,000 VND (2.74 USD) per kg. The family makes the tea by hand using traditional methods, processing 25-30 kg of fresh tea leaves per day, yielding about 6 kg of dried tea, which is sold to tourists for 500,000 VND per kg.

Hang Dong commune is encouraging locals to care for and preserve the ancient tea tree areas in combination with promoting tourism development. The commune provides support for expanding tea cultivation areas to increase income and help growers escape poverty sustainably. The communal authorities also create conditions for businesses and cooperatives to invest and develop a brand for the local ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees.

Song A Phua, Chairman of the Hang Dong commune Farmers' Association, stated that the association has organised tours for its members to learn tea care techniques in the nearby commune of Ta Xua. It has also promoted the preservation and protection of these trees and encourage tourism by introducing and advertising the tea trees to visitors.

The association has worked with the Hang Dong Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs Cooperative to link with local tea farmers for processing and purchasing their tea products.

On December 31, 2024, the Bac Yen district People's Committee approved the "Thac Rong Tea" product from the cooperative, awarding it a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification, which is helping to guide the development of the Shan Tuyet tea brand in Hang Dong commune.

Thao Thi Du from the Hang Dong Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs Cooperative shared that each year, the cooperative purchases and processes 5-6 tonnes of fresh tea leaves from local tea-growing households. In addition to the "Thac Rong Tea" product, the cooperative is also considering the production of "Black Tea."

Furthermore, it will actively participate in events connecting and promoting agricultural products organised by the province and the district, sign contracts with partners from various provinces and cities across the country, and bring its products to online shopping platforms.

By focusing on preserving the ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees, Hang Dong commune continues to develop its Shan Tuyet tea brand, aiming to make it a special product of the locality, thus increasing the income of its people and contributing to economic growth and poverty reduction.