Hanna — an overseas Vietnamese from Germany — while receiving a cup of lotus-infused tea freshly harvested from the lake, kept cradling and inhaling it, saying: "So fragrant," "so wonderful," "so beautiful," "this time coming to Hue, I am truly lucky."
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| Lotus tea scenting at dawn on Tinh Tam (Serenity) Lake |
Lotus tea tasting is a new product within a project managed by a group of young people led by Mr. Ngo Quang Tri. Teaware from Phuoc Tich pottery, multi-grain lotus cakes, candied figs, dried tangerine peel… create a purely Hue tea feast. I paid special attention to a lovely little bottle of filtered water distilled from lotus flowers. For every 120 blossoms distilled with water from Ham Long well taken from Bao Quoc Pagoda for 4 hours, 3 liters of lotus water are produced. Just by adding a little of this lotus water into the cup, you can feel the fragrance of leaves and flowers, the scent of the morning wind blending with the early dew, the smell of young mud…
Carrying the spirit of the Hue people regarding tea, the aforementioned group of young people also intends to launch more products made from Tinh Tam lotus to continue the narrative thread of Hue lotus from the Nguyen Dynasty to the present day. Passed down through historical books and possessing nutritional value as a precious medicine, the Hue lotus has made a spectacular recovery.
Beyond Tinh Tam Lake, a place seen as one of the twenty beautiful scenic landscapes of the Than Kinh land (the Ancient Capital of Hue), the ancient white lotus is being planted extensively in royal tombs, monuments, ponds... The solution of natural, organic lotus cultivation is selected and maintained to create quality products for users. Suited to the climate and soil, Hue lotus seeds are typically fragrant, powdery, and preferred throughout the country. In some wards and communes such as Huong An, Kim Tra, Phong Phu, Dan Dien, Phu Vinh... the high-yield lotus cultivation model has confirmed an economic structural transition direction that is 4 to 5 times more efficient than rice farming, bringing great benefits to the people.
Hue currently boasts hundreds of hectares of lotus cultivation area, with a seed yield of about 1.5 - 4 tons/ha. In the market and also on e-commerce platforms, business activities revolving around the lotus value chain are more bustling than ever at this time. Well-known branded lotus products include the Hue ancient white lotus-infused tea line, dried lotus seeds, lotus root snacks, multi-grain lotus cakes… of Moc Truly Hue’s and Hue Viet Organic. Alongside cuisine and specialties, there are also lotus-leaf conical hats, handbags made from lotus leaves, lotus-seed bracelets… With the lotus plant, nothing is discarded, but rather transformed into many products closely linked to the culture and life of the Ancient Capital’s people.
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| Lotus becomes an economic high-value plant, enriching many lives |
On digital platforms, search keywords for "Hue lotus" via Google began to grow in mid-May and maintained steadily in June. Among the top 4 search terms for Hue specialties, there are lotus seeds and lotus tea. With an upward search trend and two sudden peak spikes (as of early June), it proves that the Hue lotus has its own attraction within the community.
Beyond inspiring poetry and painting, the Hue lotus has also become the subject of unique festivals. In 2018, the Lotus Festival named "The Legend of a Flower" marked a turning point that "upgraded the status" of this flower. This year, the Hue Lotus Festival "Ngu lien thuc thuy" with a series of experiential cultural and artistic activities taking place in the Tinh Tam Lake area once again brings visitors into a deeper journey of hearing - seeing - feeling the Hue lotus.
The Hue lotus brand has now been registered for protection under the form of a collective trademark, bringing much value to growers and business units. "Rising from the mud" to "shine" in its true sense like in real life; from an agricultural product, the Hue lotus has been elevated into a vivid ecosystem connecting agriculture - culture - tourism.
The potential of a plant species associated with the Hue locality has been exploited; in the long term, it is necessary to continue researching and promoting the value of valuable ancient lotus varieties; support startup projects related to the lotus plant and target exportable products; build more in-depth experiential tours about the lotus; promote communication… so that Hue can be turned into the "Lotus Capital" of the whole country. If this is achieved, the Hue lotus will have the conditions to reach far on the cultural and brand map, asserting itself in the journey of "rising from the mud to grow up."