Drinking tea has been a traditional culture of Vietnamese people from ancient times to the present. Although it is a new stage of formation until colonization and war, the Vietnamese still retain the inherent traditional culture of the nation. Through each period, the core value of the art of tea drinking is still maintained, but with additional changes to suit life. What is the difference between Vietnamese people drinking tea in the past and now?
Vietnamese people drink tea in ancient times:
In the past, tea was considered an expensive drink and required high requirements on tea-making equipment and the tea-making process. Drinking tea is only for the elite, traditional, and educated families. Tea drinkers in the past were all poets; otherwise, they also held high positions in society.
Teacups are used on important occasions, holidays, weddings, anniversaries, family meetings, and village festivals… the person who is invited to tea also always maintains a respectful and polite manner and thinks it is a dignified ritual.
The way of enjoying tea of the old Vietnamese people is also very high and gentle; sip each sip to absorb the essence of tea profoundly and appreciate the delicious tea; the more delicious the tea, the more valuable and appreciated the person invited is.
Tea drinking culture has been associated with the community activities of the ancient Vietnamese and imbued with the cultural quintessence of the nation. There is a saying, “First Thuy, Second Tea, Three Phase, Four Warms, Five Trousers”, to show the ancients’ sophistication and high requirements in the tea-drinking culture.
A good teapot must have tea from the morning dew on lotus leaves or clear, sweet well water.
Next is the high-class tea; the tea leaves are small, curved, and fragrant; when mixed with the scent of new nuggets, the water is green and waves, the flavour is rich, and the aftertaste is sweet.
The third is how to make tea; the ingenuity of the tea drinker is most evident in how to make tea, how to time it, and how to use props to make the most delicious cup of tea.
Next is how to choose a teapot; the ancients often had the habit of using thick brown earthenware pots to make tea, both keeping warm for a long time and having a beauty associated with the traditional culture of the nation.
Finally, you enjoy tea, a good cup of tea with a good friend, “wet” or “wet pants” is a way to indicate the number of people in the tea ceremony.
In particular, the old “poet” liked to have tea with his confidant, not many friends, but drinking tea with someone who could communicate was what the ancients believed to have an entire tea ceremony.
Over the generations, Vietnamese tea making has elevated to an art with creativity and simplicity.
Vietnamese people drink tea today:
It is the intersection of traditional and modern tea culture because everyday people know how to use tea in each situation, event and nature of work.
Unlike the ancients, tea was only used as an expensive beverage; today, tea has become more popular with many processing methods: traditional green tea, fresh tea, tea bags, and fermented tea…
Tea of the past and present always have a crossover.
Tea gradually appeared on every corner among Vietnamese people, from street sidewalks to traditional tea rooms or important conferences; tea is a daily habit of taking care of people’s health. Tea also becomes less “luxury” but simple and close.
The way to make tea and the style of tea drinking are also gradually “easier” to be suitable for all ages and audiences. In addition to making traditional tea, modern Vietnamese people have produced tea bags for young people in the industrial age; time is gold and silver, but they still enjoy a cup of tea full of the aroma and soul of tea.
But in general, no matter what era, enjoying good tea with best friends is always an indispensable feature; behind it is the cohesion and understanding of the people with whom tea is connected.
Drinking tea in the past and now, regardless of the era, Vietnamese people always preserve the inherent beauty of the nation.
Synthetic.
