In recent days, local people have discovered a number of trucks moving to ancient tea hills in Bien Ho commune, next to Buu Minh Pagoda. Here, workers dig up many large tea trees with lush branches and leaves, then cranes lift each tea tree to trucks and move to another place.
Mr. Tran Hung, residing in Bien Ho commune, said: "The tea hill planted from the French colonial period is a special tourist landscape of the province, arbitrarily transplanting a series of tea trees will affect the natural beauty of this area.
According to people, in the past, many ancient tea trees, bonsai-shaped, were dug up and planted in gardens and villas. In some places in Bien Ho area, some people even trade in many large tea trees, ready to sell to customers in need with millions of dong.
Mr. Trinh Quang Hung - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bien Ho Tea Joint Stock Company admitted that some agencies and units stationed in the area asked the company for a few tea trees to display as ornamental plants. The tea company agreed to let them come to dig and move the trees elsewhere.
Representatives of the Gia Lai Provincial Tourism Association said that the landscape of Bien Ho tea hill and hundred-year-old pine trees are attractive tourist destinations; the company needs to protect, look after, and preserve the tea hill, and must not let ancient tea trees be stolen, moved, or lost...
Meanwhile, in April 2026, Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee issued a notice agreeing to maintain the status quo of 62 hectares of ancient tea trees in the area of hundred-year-old pine trees near Buu Minh Pagoda, Bien Ho commune.
The province identifies this as a characteristic landscape space with high historical, cultural and tourism value.
62 hectares of ancient tea trees associated with tourism landscape are within the boundary of research and general planning of Bien Ho - Chu Dang Ya tourist area to 2050.
Gia Lai province requests Bien Ho Tea Joint Stock Company to seriously comply with the directions of the Provincial People's Committee related to the management and use of tea areas; organize protection, care, and maintain the current status of the area of more than 62 hectares of tea.
After equitization, tea trees and land area are assets of enterprises; however, general orientations and policies on crop types, areas, and targets are determined by state management agencies.
In the past 4 years, the coffee market has increased in price, therefore, Bien Ho Tea Joint Stock Company wants to convert the purpose of hundreds of hectares of tea to growing coffee trees to bring profits and increase economic value.
However, Gia Lai province agreed on the policy of still keeping 62 hectares of Bien Ho tea to develop tourism landscapes. Every year, thousands of visitors come to tea hills and hundred-year-old pine trees to travel along Bien Ho water points, Chu Dang Ya volcano, Ia Ly hydropower plant...
