Golden camellia tea is fondly known as the “queen” of teas; in the past, it was used exclusively by the royal family. Once a wild forest plant, Ba Chẽ golden camellia tea has been restored and developed into a key crop here.
Ba Chẽ Golden Camellia Tea – Nature’s “Miracle Cure” in the Mountains of Quảng Ninh
A 5-star OCOP product. Photo: Quảng Ninh Newspaper.
In recent years, the area planted with golden camellia tea in Ba Chẽ has expanded to nearly 200 hectares. At a price of 15 million đồng per kilogram of dried flowers, this flower is bringing local residents hundreds of millions of đồng each year, helping them grow prosperous.
Dried golden camellia tea. Photo: Quảng Ninh Newspaper.
Golden camellia tea is a native plant that grows naturally in forests, ravines, and waterways in Ba Chẽ, a mountainous district of Quảng Ninh Province. In the past, local residents dug up the entire plants and sold them to traders for around 1.5–2 million đồng per plant. However, because traders bought the whole plants, golden camellia tea gradually became increasingly scarce.
Growing golden camellia tea. Photo: Quảng Ninh Newspaper.
Recognizing the great benefits that the Ba Chẽ golden camellia tea plant could bring, instead of selling the plants, local residents gradually began growing, restoring, and preserving golden camellia tea. The plant naturally prefers shade, so when it is grown on hills, it must be supplied with irrigation water; the plants must also be spaced properly, as planting them too densely will cause them to die.
Processing golden camellia tea. Photo: Quảng Ninh Newspaper.
Ba Chẽ golden camellia tea has now become a certified 5-star product, recognized as an OCOP product of Quảng Ninh Province. Not stopping there, this product is also gradually becoming a national OCOP product.
Camellia flowers. Photo: Lao Động Newspaper.
The development of the profession of growing Ba Chẽ golden camellia tea is not only the story of pioneering farmers who dared to think and act, but also evidence of the soundness of the policy to turn Ba Chẽ into an economic center for forestry and medicinal plants.
Photo: @mochuong86.
According to researchers, Ba Chẽ golden camellia tea is a valuable medicinal herb for health, with effects on the body such as reducing blood sugar, detoxifying the liver and kidneys; reducing serum lipid and bad cholesterol levels; potentially helping lower blood pressure, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and preventing the formation of blood clots that cause blood vessel blockages.
Tea leaves also have many uses. Photo: Fb Trà Hoa vàng Ba Chẽ Quảng Ninh.
In addition, the tea has diuretic effects; prevents atherosclerosis; inhibits and destroys bacteria; helps prevent cancer and inhibit tumor growth; promotes vitality; combats inflammation and allergies; and maintains the normal functioning of the thyroid gland…
Golden camellia tea buds. Photo: Quảng Ninh Newspaper.
Alongside traditional sales channels, local residents are also stepping up the promotion and marketing of golden camellia tea through online sales channels. As a result, the number of customers from outside the province has increased, and Ba Chẽ golden camellia tea has become more widely known.
Lush golden camellia tea hills in Ba Chẽ. Photo: N.Q.
Growing golden camellia tea is a new profession, still in its infancy in Quảng Ninh, yet it is developing at an unprecedented pace. The profession has become a livelihood, helping local residents prosper while preserving distinctive cultural values, and providing a foundation for the mountainous district of Ba Chẽ to develop services and tourism linked to agriculture.
