Indulge in the space of tea and clouds

The night before the festival, the weather was chilly, Suoi Giang central stadium was arranged for the Tea Party Night - a gathering after the Workshop "Developing and enhancing the value of Shan Tuyet tea" for experts, managers, researchers, workers and locals to enthusiastically discuss.

In the low light, the teapot steamed, the whispers of academic exchange mixed with laughter. There were dry stories about indexes, standards, and markets; there were stories about tea plants as if talking about relatives; there were people holding ancient tea leaves, gently as if guarding a treasure.

The next morning, the sky seemed to be “washed clean”, the sunlight filtered through the clouds, illuminating each silver tea leaf. Halfway up the mountain was a sea of pure white clouds. From early morning, small shops along the roadside were already spreading the fragrant aroma of tea.

The ceremony to honor the ancestral tea tree - a traditional ceremony of the Mong people in Suoi Giang was solemnly held from early morning. The center of Giang B village was the heart of the festival. Here, the elderly in formal attire, women in brocade dresses, Suoi Giang children eagerly...

On this occasion, delegates and tourists from all over also came here to join the people. Leading the way was the main offering tray of the Commune People's Committee, followed by the offerings trays of the villages and hamlets - a series of fresh mountain products: corn, rice, honey, herbs and handfuls of freshly picked tea, cups of freshly brewed tea. Each offering tray was like the heartbeat of the community, sending sincerity to heaven and earth, to the ancestral tea tree, to the gods who protected the village through the rainy and sunny seasons.

Village elder Giang A Dang chanted a prayer, his voice warm and resonant in the air. On behalf of the community, he expressed his gratitude, praying for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and a prosperous life. He called out the names of the tea trees that had witnessed many generations of people; trees planted by ancestors, trees that had contributed to raising many generations, protecting the footsteps of building the village.

The vow is not just a ritual, it is a “declaration” of the relationship between people, trees and land. In his voice there is both pride and concern - pride in living in the midst of a natural treasure, concern about how to preserve the soul of tea, the quality of Suoi Giang tea from generation to generation.

The ceremony to honor the ancestral tea tree not only evokes personal memories but also evokes the journey of the Mong people to establish their village in the high mountains. In the prayer to the ancestors of the village elder Dang is the story of their ancestors finding shelter in the clouds, taking root with the ancient tea tree - the trees that scientists today call the origin of the world's tea varieties.

That connection is sacred, the tea tree not only produces buds for picking, but is also a witness to history, a living library preserving the accumulated experience of making tea and the sad and happy stories of the village. The ceremony to worship the ancestral tea tree is like putting the relationship back into the center of the community, as a commitment to continue to protect, continue to teach children how to listen to the leaves "talk".

Immediately after the ceremony, the Opening Ceremony of the Shan Tuyet Tea Festival in Lao Cai province took place with the theme "Tea fragrance in the clouds". The phrase "Tea fragrance in the clouds" moved many people because it seemed to encompass the entire Suoi Giang space, clouds embracing the tea hills, the tea fragrance blended with heaven and earth. Many tourists and locals gathered, some came out of curiosity, some wanted to introduce and promote Shan Tuyet tea and Suoi Giang tea culture, and some came because of their belief in ancient stories...

The festival is not lively and noisy but gentle and slow, sometimes you stop to listen to the sound of cups and saucers clinking together, the sound of pouring tea or the warm voice of the tea masters explaining each step of making tea, introducing the types of tea...

From a cultural perspective, what amazed us the most was the way the festival conveyed its identity, not showing off, but inviting people into an inner experience. When guests quietly took a cup of tea from the hands of the tea masters, they were invited to become witnesses to a long story about origin and life.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Hoa, Ho Thau commune, Tuyen Quang province shared: “The Suoi Giang Shan Tuyet Tea Festival is organized on a large scale, which is a very professional and new way of doing things. In particular, through the festival, the national cultural identity is preserved and the value of Shan Tuyet tea trees is enhanced.

"My hometown also has a large area of Shan Tuyet tea, I think we need to learn this method to both preserve the culture and increase the value of the tea tree" - Mr. Hoa shared.

The festival has connected indigenous knowledge with science and the market, but what captivates visitors is the sincerity and simplicity of the people. White clouds, fragrant tea, singing, simple stories… create the unique features of the tea festival. Each cup of tea when poured not only conveys flavor but also a story, an invitation to continue to preserve this product.

The Shan Tuyet Tea Festival has ended, but the scent of tea still lingers, inviting visitors to return. With the efforts of the government and the people, Suoi Giang will increasingly develop, becoming an attractive tourist destination. And above all, the traditional cultural values of the ethnic groups will be preserved and promoted, so that this land will forever be a space of tea and clouds that captivates people's hearts.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/dam-say-khong-gian-tra-va-may-post887616.html