Video: The first Tta Festival held in Lai Chau, featuring tea picking, tea drying and tea tasting.
Tea festival attracts many tourists to experience and explore
On the last Saturday of the week, the sky was clear and blue, from early morning thousands of tourists followed in a stream to go up to the tea hill in Phuc Khoa commune, my family and I joined the stream of people preparing their luggage to go up the hill, thinking about the uphill journey of more than a kilometer, I looked at my wife and children with concern; but fortunately, the Tea Festival organizers had thoughtfully prepared a fleet of dozens of motorbikes to welcome tourists to experience and explore the Tea Festival.
Our family of three was driven by two muscular young men in two "luxury cars". The cars glided through hairpin turns on the clean concrete road, following the foot of the tea hills. The higher we went, the more vast, green, and captivatingly beautiful tea hills gradually appeared before my eyes. On the tea fields, the silhouettes of Mong, Thai, and Giay girls... dressed in colorful dresses participating in the tea picking competition appeared.
I hurriedly thanked the handsome driver and then joined the jubilant atmosphere on the tea beds, quickly asking a slim, graceful Thai girl who was carrying a basket of green, eye-catching tea buds that had just been picked. I learned that she was La Thi Tham, from Than Thuoc commune, Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau. Tham said that to pick delicious tea, you must choose tea buds with one bud and two leaves, without leaving broken leaves. Only then will the leaves not fall apart and burn when drying, and the tea buds will be more beautiful and delicious.
The first tea festival held in Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau, featured tea picking, tea drying and tea tasting. Photo: Tuan Hung
Following Tham to the tea roasting competition area, I quickly asked her about her feelings when participating in this Tea Festival. Tham smiled and said that her family has been involved in tea growing for many years. This was her first time participating in the competition and she was very much looking forward to participating in the festival.
Pointing to the busiest area, where the tea-starring competition is about to take place, Tham said: "This is not only a big festival associated with the pride of tea producers, but also an opportunity for us to exchange and learn experiences in production, business, introducing and promoting our tea brands."
The area where the tea roasting competition took place was arranged by the organizers close to the main stage of the festival, 9 competing teams were ready to start, the tea roasting stoves were built by the teams with bricks, the fire was blown up, burning red. Right after the referee's signal, the competing teams started roasting the tea, the atmosphere immediately exploded, under the applause and encouragement of hundreds of tourists and people.
The “tea roasting artisans” with their skillful hands continuously stir the tea, their voices calling to each other continuously; around the kitchen, thick smoke billows, swirling around, enveloping the tea roasters. In less than 10 minutes, sweat was pouring down the artisans’ faces. Witnessing this image, many tourists expressed their appreciation for the hardships of tea farmers.
Thai ethnic girls in traditional costumes participate in a tea roasting competition. Photo: Tuan Hung
When the sun was quite high, the heat had begun to be intense, the tea drying process of the teams had just finished, each tray of tea with eye-catching tea leaves, attractive aroma was brought to the judges. The judging panel consisted of experienced local artisans and tea producers.
Now it is time for the tea tasting and scoring, this is a particularly important stage that requires concentration and responsibility from the "judges", only then can we choose today's champion; and then from the awarding area, there are continuous rounds of applause, laughter and voices echoing everywhere, happiness is evident in every look and smile of the members from the 9 competing teams...
Tea festival combines tea development with tourism
Traveling nearly 10km to Tan Uyen town, the specialties prepared by the organizers of the Tea Festival and Culture - Tourism Week were served. Among hundreds of stories shared by the two Vice Chairmen of Tan Uyen District People's Committee, Le Thanh Huy and Lo Van Bien, it is known that Tan Uyen district is considered the capital of tea trees in Lai Chau province. This place has tea fields that are up to 60 years old.
Currently, Tan Uyen owns nearly 3,400 hectares of tea, of which the commercial tea area reaches nearly 3,100 hectares, the average fresh tea bud yield reaches over 8.5 tons/ha, the fresh tea bud output is estimated at nearly 30 thousand tons per year, equivalent to 5,800 tons of various types of dried tea buds; bringing in revenue of over 200 billion VND per year and creating jobs, stabilizing the lives of about 7,000 local workers.
Currently, Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau owns nearly 3,400 hectares of tea, of which the commercial tea area reaches nearly 3,100 hectares, the average fresh tea bud yield reaches over 8.5 tons/ha... Photo: Tuan Hung
Through intimate conversations with the two Vice Chairmen of the District People's Committee and the locals, I understood that tea trees not only help Tan Uyen farmers reduce poverty and develop the economy, but also the income of tea growers in recent years has increased year by year. Furthermore, tea trees are currently one of the main crops, contributing greatly to Tan Uyen district's rise to become a new rural district of Lai Chau.
During that intimate meal, Mr. Lo Van Luc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Khoa Commune, Tan Uyen District, Lai Chau enthusiastically said: Phuc Khoa Commune achieved the new rural commune status in 2015, and is currently striving to build an advanced new rural commune. With the goal of linking the development of tea areas with tourism, on the roads leading to the tea hills, the people in the commune have planted more than 40 Bauhinia trees, more than 1,000 cherry blossom trees, built nearly 10 viewing and check-in points, and built traffic routes. The people in the commune also self-studied and practiced cooking their ethnic dishes to welcome tourists...
The tea festival is part of the Tan Uyen District Culture - Tourism Week 2024 with many unique cultural and sports activities, imbued with the cultural identities of the Thai, Kho Mu, Giay, Thai, Mong ethnic groups... Photo: Tuan Hung
It is known that within the framework of the Tea Festival and Cultural - Tourism Week of Tan Uyen district taking place from April 12 to 14, there will also be cultural, sports and other outstanding activities such as: Displaying and introducing tea products; OCOP products; cultural and tourism products, typical products of communes and towns in the district, districts in and outside Lai Chau province; displaying paintings and photos of Tan Uyen land and people with the theme: "Tan Uyen's fragrance - a memorable place"...
Tan Uyen is the locality with the largest tea area in Lai Chau province. Tea is the main crop in the locality. Many OCOP products from tea have been and are being favored by customers, bringing in a good income for the people. Photo: Tuan Hung
Sharing more with us, Mr. Lo Van Bien, Vice Chairman of Tan Uyen District People's Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee said: In recent years, many production facilities in Tan Uyen District have had OCOP tea products. Some products have become brands and are widely distributed in the market, the pride of every Tan Uyen resident.
The first tea festival held in Phuc Khoa commune is an important event, an opportunity for Tan Uyen district to introduce and promote tea products, OCOP products, cultural tourism products and typical agricultural products, along with the potentials and strengths of culture, people and nature.
Coming to the festival, visitors will be able to visit and enjoy the colorful cultural space of the ethnic groups in the district. Discover the beautiful natural scenery, blend with traditional cultural features, and the warm and friendly feelings of the ethnic people.
Through the festival, Tan Uyen district hopes that this will be a "safe, friendly, unique, attractive, and impressive" destination in the hearts of tourists and friends from near and far on their journey to explore the culture and tourism of Lai Chau province in particular and the Northwest region in general.
In addition to economic development, the tea hills currently have great potential for Tan Uyen to develop tourism. This promises to be a safe, friendly, attractive, and impressive destination in the hearts of tourists and friends from near and far on their journey to explore Lai Chau. Photo: Tuan Hung
“The purpose of this Tea Festival is to honor the traditional tea processing profession, and at the same time to promote the brands and tea products of Tan Uyen district to markets inside and outside the province. After this Tea Festival and Culture - Tourism Week, we will continue to find solutions with the people to develop the tea region, build local tea brands; expand the market and find consumption partners, thereby helping farmers develop tea plants better with the goal of building a tea region associated with tourism development”, Mr. Bien excitedly expressed.
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