In just a few days, the first 6 trains serving International Tea Festival - Thai Nguyen 2026 will officially depart, bringing visitors from Hanoi to the tea land. Preparations for the 6 trains are being expeditiously completed by relevant agencies and units, from upgrading the station and developing experiential spaces to organizing cultural and tourism activities along the journey. Beyond meeting the travel needs of delegates and visitors during the Festival, this also marks the initial step toward creating a railway tourism product bearing Thai Nguyen’s distinct imprint.
A first impression from Luu Xa Station
Workers caring for the “Tree of Memories” at Luu Xa Station
At Luu Xa Station, renovation, landscaping improvements, and the preparation of check-in spots are being carried out expeditiously to create a favorable impression as soon as visitors arrive in Thai Nguyen. In particular, attention is being paid to recreating reminders of the past in the station platform area, helping connect the experiential journey with the locality’s cultural depth and revolutionary traditions.
Sketch of the mural at Luu Xa Station
Luu Xa Station is not only associated with historical stories of the Thai Nguyen region, but is also where the heroic sacrifice of Youth Volunteers of Company 915, Team 91 Bac Thai took place on Christmas Eve in 1972. This location also served as the opening setting in the acclaimed movie “Red Rain”.
With a desire to create a highlight for the welcoming space, the Organizing Committee directed the repainting and renovation of the station area, while recreating images evoking history through a mural right on the station platform.
Mr. A Lu, the artist who directly designed and painted the mural, shared that immediately upon receiving the invitation from the Organizing Committee, he researched ideas, formulated a design plan, sought feedback, and moved swiftly with implementation to ensure progress while meeting aesthetic and thematic requirements. He hopes the mural will serve as the first emotional touchpoint for visitors on their journey to the tea land, while encouraging local residents, especially young people, to learn about the locality’s heroic history.
Artist A Lu completing the stages of the mural at Luu Xa Station
The preparations at Luu Xa Station demonstrate that the train is not merely a means of passenger transportation. Right from the very first destination, visitors can already experience Thai Nguyen’s distinctive characteristics, from its historical depth and cultural identity to the friendliness and hospitality of its people.
Connecting journeys, spreading the values of the tea land
Following the survey program, information about the railway tourism product was widely disseminated across mass media and digital communications platforms; travel businesses have also actively developed tours and routes connecting with destinations in the province, opening up opportunities for visitors to combine train travel with discovering the culture, nature, and people of Thai Nguyen.
Heritage train decorated with scenic images of Thai Nguyen for visitor check-ins
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Cuong, Vice Chairman of Thai Nguyen Provincial Tourism Association, Head of Thai Nguyen - Hanoi Tourism Branch, and General Director of Trang An Travel Tourism Company, the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen tourist train offers a distinctive appeal compared with other short railway journeys in the northern region. Beyond offering a novel on-board experience, the journey leaves an impression through the thoughtful reception and warmth of the people of Thai Nguyen, as well as the scenery on both sides of the tracks.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Cuong noted that Thai Nguyen’s advantage lies in its diverse tourism product system, capable of satisfying varied experiential needs across famous tea-growing areas; exploring history at ATK Dinh Hoa, the National Historic Relic Site commemorating 60 Youth Volunteer martyrs of Company 915, Team 91 Bac Thai, or experiencing cultural spaces at Thai Hai Reserve Area of Ecological Houses-on-stilts Ethnic Village. These destinations hold potential for integration into rich itineraries, helping visitors gain deeper insights into the land and people of Thai Nguyen.
At present, the enterprise has developed numerous train travel experience programs lasting from 1 to 3 days, tailored to the diverse needs of tourists during the Festival. According to the company, visitor interest and inquiries regarding the trains have shown an upward trend as the event approaches. This represents a positive signal, providing a basis for units to further intensify communications, refine products, and elevate service quality.
Foreign tourists experiencing tea picking at Tien Yen Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, Tan Cuong Commune
At experiential tourism destinations, cooperatives are fully prepared to welcome visitors during the Festival. Mr. Bui Trong Dai, Director of Tien Yen Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, Tan Cuong Commune, a venue that regularly welcomes large numbers of tourists visiting the Tan Cuong tea-growing area, noted that tea hills have been carefully tended, and experiential areas, dining, and accommodations for tourists have been meticulously prepared by the Cooperative, ready to welcome visitors for tours and experiences.
Perfecting experiences, moving toward long-term operations
To ensure every train journey truly becomes an appealing tourism product, preparations have been carried out in a comprehensive manner. Ms. Vu Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director of Thai Nguyen Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that each train offers a minimum of 280 seats for delegates and visitors, utilizing air-conditioned soft-seat carriages. Notably, a community carriage is arranged as a space for musical performances, displays, and introductions of local OCOP products.
Cultural performance aboard the “Heritage Train”
Alongside this, relevant units are focusing on training and enhancing professional expertise and narration skills for tour guides and commentators serving on board and at destinations. Thorough preparations in content, human resources, and service conditions aim to enhance the quality of the experience, building a civilized, friendly, and professional image for Thai Nguyen tourism.
Travel agencies learning about Thai Nguyen tourism aboard the train
The 6 trains serving International Tea Festival - Thai Nguyen 2026 present an opportunity for the locality to showcase distinctive values of the tea land to numerous visitors, while testing its capacity to organize, connect, and operate a new tourism product. The journey’s value lies not only in passenger numbers or short-term outcomes during the event, but also in its ability to deliver a differentiated experience, kindle a desire for exploration, and promote linkages between businesses and destinations.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in developing Hanoi - Thai Nguyen railway tourism products for the 2026-2030 period signed between Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Committee and Vietnam National Railway Group, the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen train route will continue to be upgraded in service quality, scheduling, experiential activities, and promotional efforts, creating further opportunities for it to become a signature tourism product operated on a regular basis going forward. From these initial trains during the Festival season, journeys to the tea land are expected to open wide the door to visitors, helping promote the image of a distinctive, friendly, and attractive Thai Nguyen on Vietnam’s tourism map.