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At the foot of Quang Nam Chau Mountain, lush green tea hills stretch across Duong Hoa Commune, where local people have cultivated and nurtured tea for generations, turning it into a distinctive agricultural product.

Held annually in the former Quang Long commune from 2018 to 2023, the Duong Hoa Tea Culture and Tourism Festival has been expanded into the Duong Hoa Tea Festival since 2024.

This year marks a new milestone for the festival as several tea-growing localities in eastern Quang Ninh have been merged to form the new Duong Hoa commune. Covering more than 220 square kilometers, the commune is home to nearly 220 hectares of tea plantations.

The festival is not only an occasion to honour tea and the people who have preserved the craft across generations, but also an opportunity to promote the local tea brand, link production with experiential tourism, and expand markets for tea products.

The highlight of this year’s festival is the recognition of two ancient tea trees in the Quang Nam Chau mountain range as heritage tea trees of Vietnam. The trees are considered living testaments to the history and development of the local tea-growing region, while affirming the exceptional value of the ancient tea trees and their connection to the local natural ecosystem.

Speaking at the festival, Tran Duc Dung, chairman of the People's Committee of Duong Hoa Commune, emphasises that more than 60 years ago, the first workers planted tea seedlings on this land. Today, local people have a responsibility to continue nurturing the tea plants so that they not only blanket the hillsides of Duong Hoa but also reach international markets, strengthening the local tea brand at home and abroad.

The event helps advance local residents’ aspiration of building a heritage tea hub and adds a distinctive product to Quang Ninh’s cultural and tourism landscape.

The festival takes place amid a vibrant atmosphere of patriotic emulation marking the 81st anniversary of August Revolution and National Day on September 2, reflecting Quang Ninh’s pride as it strives to become a centrally administered city.

The most anticipated event of this year's festival is the tea-picking competition.

Over 30 minutes, members of eight teams race to pick tea buds from rows of tea plants prepared by organisers.

The results are evaluated based on the weight and uniformity of the fresh tea buds, as well as the condition of the tea bed after harvesting.

The festival is not only a celebration for tea producers but also an occasion for people from Duong Hoa to return home, reunite and pay tribute to generations of officials, workers, artisans and local residents who have cultivated tea and built the Duong Hoa tea brand over the past six decades.

Teams also take part in the traditional hand-roasting competition, showcasing their experience, skills and tea-roasting techniques.

Starting with 2.5 kg of fresh tea buds, each team must complete its finished tea within seven hours. Under the hands of skilled tea makers, each batch gradually develops the distinctive aroma, liquor colour and flavour of local tea.

From an agricultural product, Duong Hoa tea has become an integral part of local memories, culture and pride. Each tea bud carries the story of the land, its people and the generations-long effort to preserve a traditional craft, helping advance the aspiration to build a heritage tea hub in Quang Ninh.

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