The art of tea drinking spreads Vietnamese cultural identity and traditional values

Nghệ thuật thưởng trà góp phần lan tỏa giá trị truyền thống và bản sắc văn hóa Việt

The art of tea drinking contributes to spreading traditional values and Vietnamese cultural identity. (Photo created by AI)

This year's Wellington Multicultural Festival attracted 12 international cultural communities, including the Canada-Vietnam Cultural and Education Council (CVCEC) in collaboration with Song Hy Tra representing the Vietnamese community, with a Dan Nguyet tea table and a tea art performance by artist Nguyen Ngoc Tuan.

Artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan - Owner of Song Hy Tra brand - said that Vietnam is proud to be one of the cradles, the birthplace of tea trees in the world . Tea culture as well as tea trees have been associated with the lives of Vietnamese people for a long time and Mr. Tuan wishes to bring Vietnamese tea culture to the world to invite everyone to know about this culture with a long history and many beautiful features that are preserved to this day.

Tea is a drink found in many countries, but Vietnamese people enjoy tea in a very unique way. The image of tea cups in each house reflects the unique, simple way of drinking tea that has been passed down from ancient times to the present day and cannot be found in any other country.

The traditional way of enjoying tea of Vietnamese people is simple and rustic. The cup of tea is shown as a bridge, connecting family affection, neighborly affection and furthermore, friendship between communities or countries.

Mr. Daniel, a visitor to the Vietnamese booth at the festival, sipped a cup of hot tea and commented that the taste was very light, not sweet, but had a natural scent of bamboo, earth and soil. He affirmed that it was wonderful to enjoy such a drink.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Marry said that the tea taste is very special, fresh and refreshing. She really enjoys the experience of drinking tea with Vietnamese green bean cake, because “these two specialties create a very unique flavor. It has a nutty taste and then the light taste of tea, it is really delicious and wonderful”.

The cup of tea has truly become a bridge, helping Canadian friends or visitors attending the Wellington Multicultural Festival understand more about Vietnamese customs and practices. Through the cup of tea, Vietnamese tea leaves will tell their own story, about the tea-growing lands, about the people who have devoted their whole lives to tea trees, and this story partly reflects the cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people. The aroma of tea leaves becomes an attractive invitation to visit Vietnam for international friends.

There are 6 elements that create a perfect Vietnamese tea-drinking session, which are “first water, second tea, third brewing, fourth teapot, fifth music and sixth house”. The word “house” here means the space for tea-drinking and the tea table is a very important part. The tea table is modeled after the shape of a Moon-shaped lute, which also evokes the “music” element and creates an elegant look in tea-drinking.

According to artisan Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, the Moon Lute is a traditional musical instrument of the Vietnamese people. It represents the moon-shaped tea table and also represents the style of a gentleman. When enjoying tea, we can combine the fifth element, "five musical instruments". The Moon Lute tea table carries the spirit of elegant tea enjoyment of the Vietnamese people.

This year’s Wellington Multicultural Festival marked the first time the Vietnamese community in Canada contributed their voice to a sophisticated multicultural exchange space. The tea art performance and the distinctive image of the tea table have become a spiritual symbol of the Vietnamese people, contributing to affirming cultural identity and spreading the traditional values of our country to the world.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nghe-thuat-thuong-tra-lan-toa-ban-sac-van-hoa-gia-tri-truyen-thong-viet-nam-321634.html