Bảo Lộc

Bảo Lộc (formerly B'Lao) sits on the Di Linh–Bảo Lộc plateau in Lâm Đồng province, in the Central Highlands, at around 800–1,000 metres. With a mild climate year-round, much cloud and rain, it is regarded as the tea and silk capital of the south.

From the early 20th century under French rule, the French established large tea plantations at B'Lao, laying the foundation of Vietnam's industrial tea sector. Over a century, Bảo Lộc has become a major national centre of tea processing and trade.

The fertile red basalt soil — deep and rich in organic matter over the plateau — is superb for tea to grow all year; the cool, humid climate yields many harvests at high volume while keeping quality.

Bảo Lộc makes a wide range: green tea, black tea by industrial methods, oolong, and above all scented teas — jasmine, lotus, and Aglaia — thanks to the highland's abundance of flowers. The tea here has a thick liquor and full taste, ideal for scenting while keeping its backbone.

As a land where settlers from many regions meet the indigenous peoples of the Highlands, Bảo Lộc carries an open culture; the city is also known for its meditation monasteries, waterfalls, and silk craft, forming a distinctive tapestry of 'tea, silk, and Zen'.

On National Highway 20 linking Hồ Chí Minh City to Đà Lạt, Bảo Lộc enjoys a clear logistical edge: near the large southern market and well-placed for export via seaports. Many major tea companies site their factories here, carrying Vietnamese tea to international markets.

The highland climate allows year-round harvest; beyond green and oolong tea, Bảo Lộc is famed for scented teas — jasmine and lotus — made at the height of the flower season. The area also has old plantations and tea factories open to visitors.

Genuine scented tea keeps both its tea backbone and a natural, un-harsh floral aroma; buy from reputable workshops to avoid synthetic scenting. Brew Bảo Lộc green tea at 80–85°C; jasmine tea suits a warm morning cup, is affordable and easy to find.