Thái Nguyên is a city in Vietnam. It is the capital and largest city of Thái Nguyên Province. The city is listed as a first class city and is the ninth largest city in Vietnam. It has long been famous throughout Vietnam for its Tân Cương tea, among the most recognized Vietnamese tea regions. In 1959, it became the site of Vietnam's first steel mill, and is now home to a large and growing major regional university complex.