Thai Nguyen, Vietnam makes a great stop for travellers on their way to Ba Be National Park from Hanoi and a chance to glimpse life in a northern town.
Currently one of the fastest growing cities in the north, Thai Nguyen city is best known around Vietnam for its vast tea plantations. However, this provincial city, steeped in tradition and local culture, can offer the curious traveller an inside view of the country rarely seen in more touristy locations scattered along the coast.
Thai Nguyen played an important role in the history of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh lived in Thai Nguyen in the Phu Dinh village of Dinh Hoa district while planning Dien Bien Phu. It was to Thai Nguyen that Ho Chi Minh came from Tan Trao and declared independence before heading south to Hanoi.
Thai Nguyen Tea Capital
Today, apart from the magnificent Museum of the Cultures of Vietnam’s Ethnic Groups, there is not much in Thai Nguyen of cultural significance, nor are there many things to hold a tourist’s interest for long if you’re looking for the regular tourist hotspots. However, if an offbeat side trip interests you, Thai Nguyen City has a vast array of places to eat, places to sleep and interesting things to do.
Take time to skirt the city and visit some of the tea plantations. Thai Nguyen is known all over the country for its delicious bitter-sweet green tea. If you plan to buy some green tea, this is the place to buy it. Local product costs a fraction of what you’d pay in the shops in Hanoi.
Don’t expect to be wowed by the architectural style in this city, Thai Nguyen is an industrial city and a key centre for metallurgy engineering, machinery manufacturing and mining ore and its industrious side shines through in its mundane and practical architecture.
Getting Around Thai Nguyen
An easy city to navigate, most spots of interest lay in Thai Nguyen within a ten to fifteen minute walk from the city centre or a quick xe om (motorcycle taxi) ride. The centre of town is the town clock in the traffic circle near the museum and the most important roads, including the highway to Hanoi and Ba Be, stem off from this central point.
Most travellers will find everything they need on Hoang Van Thu Street, the main street in town grouping banks, cafes and hotels. The bustling central market and the museum are only a few steps away from the clock.
Thai Nguyen Amenities
- Money: Ngan Hang Cong Thuong Thai Nguyen is the large bank on Hoang Van Thu Street next to the Cao Bac Hotel. When you enter the bank, go to the far right counter. Here they offer service in English and change money and traveller’s cheques. They also offer cash advances from Visa and serves as a Western Union point. The ATM out in front is rarely in service and is only for those holding an account at the bank.
- E-mail and Internet access: There is no lack of internet cafes along Hoang Van Thu Street. Most boast ADSL service but don’t expect fast service as the ADSL sign is mostly for promotion. It is best to check e-mail or surf the net during lunch hour, during the rest of the day and evening most Thai Nguyen internet cafes are filled with loud chatting students.
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