Ten old tea trees were recently discovered in the northern province of Thai Nguyen's Dai Tu district during a research trip conducted by a group of local botanical experts.

"The 1m-diameter and 20m-tall trees are in pristine condition because they have been hidden in primeval forest on the Hong mountain range, which is 850m above sea level and far away from residential areas," said Thanh Son, head of the district's Agricultural and Rural Development Department.

"The discovery will significantly help research about tea trees in the region which is famous for its tea products," he said.

Local authorities intend to develop a plan to search for and collect different varieties of tea trees that will be used to set up a botanical tea garden. The garden is expected to be an attractive tourism spot in time for the province's International Tea Festival next year.

Thai Nguyen province is one of the most famous regions for growing and producing green and black tea in Vietnam./.