Drinking tea is an art form in Vietnam’s former imperial capital of Hue, reflecting all that matters in life.
April 2011
When people in Hue sit down together to drink tea, it’s the perfect time to talk about a range of topics, from literature to current affairs. It strengthens friendships, broadens their social network, and allows them to share the simple pleasures life has to offer. The way people in Hue enjoy tea reflects their personalities, outlook on life, emotions and even their mood.
In the old days, Hue Royalty established a set of strict rules for drinking tea. A typical occasion must meet certain requirements in the following respects: venue, tea sets, tea types, brewing water, and steps taken during the tea ceremony.
• Venue: tea rooms tend to be the most luxurious and isolated space in the house. The walls of the tea room are often decorated with water colors, calligraphy and ancient poetry. Tea rooms also include bookshelves, a couple of antiques, an ancient copper sculpture, or a few orchids, to create a relaxing ambience.
Hue people also at times conduct tea ceremonies outdoors, under the share of an old tree in the garden. The tea set is placed on the huge stone table. Nearly will be wild-looking “Hon Non Bo” (miniature trees and rocky) placed in a waterless pot, next to colorful bunches of flowers. All create a picturesque scene for drinking tea ceremonies.
• Tea sets: a typical tea set in Hue consists f four objects: “ Dam” ( the tiny plate used to hold the “tong” cup); “ban’ (a bigger plate used to hold the “tot” cup); “tong” ( a bigger cup used in the process of making the tea); “tot” ( three small teacups)
There is also an earthen stove, a terra-cotta pot for storing cold water, a kettle, a tea pot, a jar for storing fresh tea, charcoal and fuel, and cookies and jam.
The season is also important and the occasion (whether drinking alone, with another one, or with a group). The tea set used for drinking alone is called “doc am”, for drinking with another person “song am”, and for drinking with a group “quan am” or “nguu am”.
Depending on these factors, Hue people use different types of tea sets. Each set is decorated with vignettes and patterns that depict ancient tales and stories. Each tea set is named according to their decoration.
• Tea and brewing water: the most famous type of tea in Hue is wrapped inside lotus flowers at Tinh Tam Lake. In the afternoon, servants visit the lake and place the tea inside each lotus, then tighten it with string. After sitting overnight, the tea is ready at dawn, in time for morning tea ceremonies.
The brewing water is collected from the morning dew on lotus leaves, or can be brought from underground streams in the nearby mountains. If this is impossible, the brewing water must at least come from rain water. The water should not be over-boiled, to prevent the taste being lost.
• Tuan tra (time for drinking tea): guests sit on the left and the host on the right, to make it more convenient for him or her to prepare the tea. The one who lights the fire is always the host, and is considered an exciting task. While lighting the fire to brew the water, he or she may add some aloe wood to create a pleasant aroma.
The tea is poured first into the “tong” cup and then the “tot” cup. While pouring the tea, part of the water is left for preparing the next pot, to retain the original flavor as much as possible. The flavor of the tea and the taste of the cookies and jam make both the host and their guests feel refreshed.
When Hue people enjoy tea, it’s not simply about drinking. They pay attention to the discussion and also to the details on the tea sets: the picture and its design. In the past, Nguyen emperors sometimes sent ambassadors to China to order making tea sets. This is why some of the most famous tea sets are still maintained in Hue, such as those used by Emperor Gia Long or Emperor Thieu Tri in the 19th century.
Keywords: Hue tea, Hue people, tea rooms, Nguyen emperors, drink tea, imperial capital, lotus, flavor of tea, tea set, enjoy tea
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