With the support of tea lady Trang Nguyen and the SHANSEN brand, the Ai Tra workshop organized by a group of students from the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture ( Diplomatic Academy) has opened a special space, where the love of the young generation for the ancient Shan Tuyet tea heritage is deeply awakened.
Ai Tra is not simply a regular milk tea making workshop. It is a journey of discovery , a space to revive the love for Vietnamese tea heritage - a cultural quintessence that has been deeply attached to Vietnamese people through many generations.
Instead of preserving the old stereotype in a dry way, Ai Tra chooses a modern approach, using the language of emotions and love through delicious cups of milk tea, so that the ancient story of Shan Tuyet tea is retold in a very new way and close to today's youth.
At the workshop, attendees listened to tea lady Trang Nguyen share directly about the “beauty” of Vietnamese tea heritage, along with the elaborate process of creating cups of authentic Shan Tuyet ancient tea. Every gesture in the tea making ceremony, from selecting each tea bud, brewing method, to brewing time, is carried out meticulously and respectfully.
Through that, young people understand that Vietnamese tea is not only an agricultural product, but also a cultural story that lasts for centuries, containing the quintessence of Vietnam's land and sky.
After the sharing session, participants were able to directly mix milk tea, a familiar drink for today’s youth. Each person was guided to adjust the sweetness and flavor according to the emotions and messages they wanted to convey.
Some people make it to give to their best friends, some use a cup of milk tea as a "bridge" to express their feelings, and some people make it for themselves as a way to listen to and appreciate themselves.
In the moment of making tea yourself, feeling the aroma from the ancient tea buds that have been aged through the wind and rain of the mountains, Vietnamese tea is no longer a distant concept. Heritage becomes something close, attached to the souls of young people, approached in a soft, natural and emotional form.
Tran Thanh Thao, a student at Tay Ho High School, shared: “I love tea and want to learn more about Vietnamese tea, so I signed up for the workshop. Foreign milk tea is increasingly being imported, sometimes making us forget about Vietnamese tea. This workshop helps me understand more deeply about my homeland’s tea.”
Tea lady Trang Nguyen has been working in the ancient Shan Tuyet tea plantation in Suoi Giang (Yen Bai) for 7 years and is currently an expert in tea ceremony at national diplomatic events. However, she is always concerned that the current generation of young Vietnamese, who will be the future owners of the heritage, are gradually forgetting the familiar value of Vietnamese tea.
“I hope the Ai Tra project can contribute to preserving and promoting Vietnamese tea culture and especially reaching young people in a younger, closer way,” she said.
Many young people participating in the workshop also admitted that they never thought they could love Vietnamese tea so much, until they made and enjoyed a cup of milk tea made from ancient tea trees.
When tasting the flavor of hundreds of years old tea buds living in the mist and clouds of Suoi Giang, they realize that Vietnamese values still exist in the simplest things.
Le Ha Nhi, a student at the Diplomatic Academy, said: “The first thing that impressed me was that the project was communicated professionally and very creatively. That’s why I felt curious and wanted to participate. When I arrived at the workshop, I was even more surprised because all the activities were well organized, from the space arrangement to the way knowledge was conveyed.”
“In particular, enjoying and learning about Vietnamese teas has given me a very profound experience. Through the sharing of tea lady Trang Nguyen, I understand more about the intricacies in the tea making process, as well as the cultural values that Vietnamese tea is preserving. I feel like I have access to the heritage in a more intimate way, not dry at all, but very inspiring and easy to absorb,” Nhi shared.
This workshop partly proves that young people do not forget their cultural heritage. On the contrary, they are the creative bridge between the past and the future, people who dare to innovate, dare to retell old stories in a familiar, sincere and emotional language.
Ai Tra has been sowing the seeds of love so that every young Vietnamese person can proudly say that Vietnamese culture is living in them, starting with a sip of tea.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/du-lich/nguoi-tre-va-hanh-trinh-giu-lua-van-hoa-tra-viet-141509.html
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