In just two years, the Ho Thau Tea Cooperative has secured four Gold and Silver awards at prestigious international tea competitions in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, firmly establishing itself as one of Vietnam’s most distinctive premium tea producers.
An Organic Treasure at High Altitude
Located in Ho Thau Commune in western Tuyen Quang Province, the Shan tea region is often described by locals as a “green treasure” of the northern highlands. Drawing on this rare ecological asset, the Ho Thau Tea Cooperative has combined traditional knowledge with scientific methods to develop a high-end tea brand rooted in sustainability and authenticity.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung, Director of the Ho Thau Tea Cooperative, receives a Gold Award at the Asia-Pacific Tea Competition 2025
Founded in 2015, the cooperative gradually transitioned from experience-based production toward a nature-aligned and science-driven approach, reshaping both raw material management and processing practices. What truly sets Ho Thau apart is how it treats its ancient tea trees.
The cooperative manages two primary raw material zones. The first is a 12-hectare dynamic conservation area, where Shan tea trees have been left to grow entirely naturally beneath forest canopies for seven consecutive years. No mechanical pruning is applied. Instead, the trees are allowed to self-regulate ecologically, expand their crowns, and develop deep taproots—key factors influencing the concentration and complexity of tea compounds.
According to Nguyen Trung Dung, Director of the Ho Thau Tea Cooperative, all harvesting is done entirely by hand and strictly limited to no more than two harvests per year, allowing the trees time to rest and regenerate.
“Although output is only about one-tenth of conventional harvesting methods, the value per kilogram increases many times over,” Dung explains. “The tea develops a distinctive aroma and depth that truly reflect the mountains.”
Alongside the conservation zone, the cooperative also manages 350 hectares of tea plantations certified under Vietnam’s Organic standards and registered with international planting codes—meeting the stringent requirements of premium global markets.
From the Highlands to the World’s Tea Stage
Beyond cultivation, Ho Thau has invested heavily in modern processing infrastructure. Its production facility operates under HACCP standards, completely eliminating coal and firewood in favor of cleaner energy sources such as electricity, gas, and diesel.
The 500-square-meter factory, supported by more than 1,500 square meters of withering and drying space, ensures a closed, safe, and stable production process. Rather than mass production, the cooperative focuses exclusively on three premium product lines: Hong Cha (Red Tea), White Tea, and Raw Pu-erh Tea, producing only three to four tons of finished tea annually for high-end tea retailers in major Vietnamese cities.
This disciplined focus on quality has delivered international recognition.
In 2024, at the Golden Leaf Awards in Australia, Ho Thau teas won Gold for Hong Cha (Red Tea) and Silver for Raw Pu-erh Tea. In 2025, at the Asia-Pacific Tea Competition in China—one of the region’s most competitive tea forums—the cooperative earned two Gold Awards for its White Tea and Raw Pu-erh Tea.
Amid the drifting clouds of Mount Chieu Lau Thi, ancient Shan tea trees continue their quiet growth, shaped by altitude, time, and restraint. From these forests, Ho Thau tea now carries the flavor, identity, and values of Tuyen Quang’s highlands to discerning tea drinkers around the world.
Nguyen Thanh Hieu
From a Vietnamese news on Tuyen Quang online
