Ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees of Ky Son - A potential that needs to be awakened.

Treasures from the vast forest

Shan Tuyet tea plants only grow in high mountain areas above 1,200m, with a cold climate year-round, covered in fog, and with large temperature differences between day and night. Because of the harsh terrain and their long lifespan, the trees are large, requiring people to climb them to harvest the young tea buds.

According to Decree 64/2010, ancient tea trees are defined as woody trees with a minimum age of 50 years or a trunk diameter of 50cm or more at a height of 1.3m. However, according to Professor Dr. Nguyen Quoc Vong – a leading expert on tea trees – truly ancient tea trees must be over 100 years old, at least 3m tall, and have a trunk diameter of 20cm or more – using the tea variety in Cau Dat planted during the French colonial period in 1927 as a standard.

What's special about ancient Shan Tuyet tea is that it mainly grows naturally, almost untouched by human intervention, resulting in superior organic quality. The content of beneficial active ingredients such as polyphenols, catechins, L-theanine, and minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium is exceptionally high, 20-30 times higher than industrial tea, according to Professor Nguyen Quoc Vong. Notably, ancient Shan Tuyet tea has a lower caffeine content, maintaining its ability to promote alertness without causing insomnia or stimulating the nervous system like some other types of tea.

In Vietnam, ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees are naturally distributed in many northern mountainous provinces such as Dien Bien, Son La, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Ha Giang. Ha Giang has the largest area of ​​Shan Tuyet tea, with approximately 18,726 hectares (2017 data), many trees over 900 years old. Around 1,300 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees have been recognized as heritage trees. Although some have suggested that this species was brought over by the Chinese or French, many local elders assert that Shan Tuyet tea has existed in the forests since ancient times and is entirely native to the region.

Taking advantage of this unique value, many businesses are now cooperating with local people to harvest, process, and produce high-quality tea products such as green tea, white tea, black tea, Pu-erh tea, etc., some of which can cost tens of millions of VND per kilogram. Some famous brands made from ancient Shan Tuyet tea, such as Suoi Giang Shan Tuyet tea and Tay Con Linh tea, have contributed to increasing the income of local people, especially ethnic minorities like the Mong, Dao, and Tay, while also promoting community tourism linked to local identity.

The essence of Nghe An tea.

Ky Son is a high-altitude mountainous district in western Nghe An province, located in the transitional zone between the southern end of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and the northern end of the Truong Son mountain range. This location makes Ky Son a unique biological transitional zone, home to many rare species such as Puxailaileng ginseng, seven-leaf one-flower ginseng, Cordyceps sinensis, and especially ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees.

According to a survey by the Ky Son Protective Forest Management Board and Mr. Dao Quang Vu, a local Shan Tuyet tea processor, there are currently over 100 hectares of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees in the villages of Na Ni, Huoi Uc 1, Huoi Uc 2, and Pha Bun (Huoi Tu commune). In particular, the forest owned by Mr. Vu Xia Chong in Na Ni village has over 1,000 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees, some hundreds of years old, with trunks so large that one person cannot encircle them. The tea trees here grow in clusters, with varying ages and sizes; because they are not harvested, their trunks reach heights of 6-10 meters.

Mr. Vu took tea samples from Huoi Tu commune to experts for assessment and confirmed that they were ancient Shan Tuyet tea. Furthermore, according to experts, old trees that are not harvested for their buds will have a strong bitter taste, and this bitterness will gradually decrease when the tree is harvested regularly.

Notably, across the border, in Paek district, Xieng Khouang province (Laos) – an area bordering Ky Son district – there are also clusters of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees that are being effectively preserved and exploited. Here, there is a tea tree over 1,000 years old that has been recognized as a National Heritage Tree of Laos. This further reinforces the assertion that Shan Tuyet tea in Ky Son district is a naturally occurring native variety with high biological and heritage value.

Currently, there is a company involved in purchasing and processing Shan Tuyet tea in Huoi Tu commune. In addition to newly planted Shan Tuyet tea, the company has also begun cultivating and producing Shan Tuyet black tea from ancient tea trees. These products are highly valued by the market for their quality, flavor, and safety.

It can be said that, along with rare species such as Puxailaileng ginseng, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, and seven-leaf one-flower ginseng, the ancient Shan Tuyet tea is a valuable genetic resource, offering opportunities for Ky Son district to develop its economy while preserving nature and culture. Besides processing Shan Tuyet tea grown in Huoi Tu commune, the aforementioned company has begun purchasing and processing Shan Tuyet black tea from raw materials harvested from ancient tea trees. Products made from Huoi Tu Shan Tuyet tea are highly valued by the market and consumers. It can be said that these rare genetic resources, along with Puxailaileng ginseng, seven-leaf one-flower ginseng, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum, offer potential and opportunities for Ky Son district to develop in its own unique way.

However, currently, the ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees in Ky Son district have not received adequate attention. No state agency has conducted a specific survey or count. There has been no advice or guidance provided to the people on protection and exploitation. There is no conservation or protection plan. As a result, some trees with trunk diameters exceeding 20cm have been cut down by the local people.

To preserve, utilize, and promote the value of this rare genetic resource, we propose the following:FirstWe invited experts from the Vietnam Tea Association (Professor Nguyen Quoc Vong) to survey and assess the value of the ancient Shan Tuyet tea tree cluster in Ky Son district.

SecondConduct surveys, count, number trees, and determine the age of the Shan Tuyet tea tree population in Huoi Tu commune and other areas in the district. Immediately implement a task on "Conserving, exploiting, and promoting the value of the genetic resources of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees in Ky Son district." Develop dossiers to propose the recognition of some trees as Heritage Trees.

Third isTraining and guidance will be provided to local people on pruning, shaping, caring for, protecting, and harvesting the tea plants, thereby connecting them with companies that purchase and process the tea into high-quality specialty products to promote the value and uniqueness of the ancient tea trees. A plan will be implemented to propagate and support the planting of native Shan Tuyet tea for the people in the region.

Fourth,Based on the story of the ancient Shan Tuyet tea tree, promote its image and introduce the product to build the brand of Huoi Tu Shan Tuyet tea (Ky Son). Connect the ancient Shan Tuyet tea growing area with My Ly ancient tower, Muong Long Sky Gate, cherry blossom areas, cloud-watching spots, etc., to develop ecotourism, community tourism, and cultural tourism destinations for the Mong, Kho Mu, and other ethnic groups.

Despite its highly fragmented terrain and challenging economic conditions, Ky Son district possesses rich biodiversity, diverse cultures, and unique natural specialties. It is believed that this disadvantage can be transformed into a significant comparative advantage for development. Among these, the Shan Tuyet tea plant is a native species that can be developed on a large scale to fully utilize its unique characteristics. First and foremost, it is crucial for relevant departments and agencies to support Ky Son district in preserving, exploiting, and developing the existing population of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees.