My father's rare tea ceremony "toy" set

(Entry to the contest "Impressions of Vietnamese coffee and tea" under the program "Honoring Vietnamese coffee and tea" for the 2nd time, 2024 organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).

Bộ “đồ chơi” trà đạo hiếm có của ba tôi- Ảnh 1.

Dad has a rare set of tea ceremony "toys": 1 small bucket stove; 1 kettle with spout and handle; 1 set of 4 enamel cups, especially a genuine antique Chinese earthenware teapot.

Bộ “đồ chơi” trà đạo hiếm có của ba tôi- Ảnh 2.

Bộ “đồ chơi” trà đạo hiếm có của ba tôi- Ảnh 3. — My father's tea ceremony tools are over 70 years old, but the stove alone is rotten.

During the economic downturn of the 1980s, antique dealers kept offering to buy the teapot for 5 taels of 24k gold. Luckily, my father didn’t sell it, so today I have a precious keepsake!

My father told me that in 1955, during a trip to Phnom Penh (Cambodia), he bought a teapot from a Chinese man who was having financial difficulties and had to sell his family heirloom.

Every time drinking tea, the first thing people do is examine and enjoy the teapot. Especially the lines of text that prove its origin and value.

Bộ “đồ chơi” trà đạo hiếm có của ba tôi- Ảnh 4.

The elders themselves add oil, boil water, make tea, wash teapots and cups... all very neatly and skillfully but also very elaborate.

After boiling the teapot twice, put the tea in. The amount of tea put in must fill the pot plus the boiling water added. Steep for 5 minutes, pour out exactly 4 cups of tea! After 2 more boiling water fills, you must replace the tea.

Despite their age and slowness, the "products" they make are extremely impressive. The strong aroma spreads throughout the room. Watching them hold a cup of hot tea in their hands and bring it to their mouths looks very skillful, with a satisfied and contented look on their faces and eyes.

Suddenly I felt happy, happy with the elders. Perhaps the elegant pleasure of tea ceremony is the joy of old age, friendship; it is the leisurely enjoyment of the taste of life that perhaps every child should create for their parents with a heart as... elegant as tea ceremony!