Attending the opening ceremony of the International Tea Festival - Hue 2025 on the morning of December 11th were Mr. Nguyen Khac Toan, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee; and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee.
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| Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Toan, together with Standing Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh, learning about tea brewing techniques |
Honoring Vietnamese tea culture
The International Tea Festival – Hue 2025 takes place at Truong Sanh Palace – Hue Imperial Citadel, one of the most ancient and culturally rich spaces of the Ancient Capital. This is an event of special significance, opening a series of important activities that conclude the National Tourism Year with many highlights.
Held in Hue for the first time, the International Tea Festival carries the mission of honoring Vietnamese tea culture, fostering dialogue and connections among tea artisans and tea professionals from Vietnam and abroad, while at the same time revitalizing the tea industry through the integration of traditional values with contemporary creativity. From this foundation, Hue hopes to shape a distinctive tourism product - Tea & Wellness tourism, blending spirituality, a slow-living lifestyle, and Eastern cultural identity, thereby enhancing the appeal and expanding the influence of Hue’s tourism sector.
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| City leaders and delegates performing the opening ceremony of the International Tea Festival - Hue 2025 |
According to the Department of Tourism, this year’s festival features a wide range of notable programs: the opening ceremony and the seminar “Tea in the Flow of Culture and Creativity”; a tea exhibition spanning traditional to modern forms; the competition “Teatender - Modern Tea Brewing”, promoting Truoi tea specialties of Hue City; tea art exchange activities; the tea mindfulness program “Tea Drinking - A Journey of Reconnection”; the performance “Royal Tea of the Imperial Court”; and the closing ceremony with the artistic program “Moon Dance of Tea Blossoms”.
Visitors participating in the event have the opportunity to enjoy the essence and art of tea ceremonies from many countries, along with a variety of vibrant accompanying activities organized by renowned tea brands. With carefully selected and well-prepared programs, the series of events promises to offer visitors profound, refined experiences imbued with the quintessence of tea culture.
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| Seminar “Tea in the Flow of Culture and Creativity” |
Mr. Hoang Vinh Long, Chairman of Vietnam Tea Association, shared that tea holds a special position in Vietnamese culture, encompassing social, cultural, artistic, and spiritual dimensions. Vietnamese people have consumed tea for a very long time. In Vietnamese households, a cup of tea is always present during festivals and holidays. Tea culture has also served as inspiration for many literary and poetic works; it is closely associated with farmers’ livelihoods and provides employment and occupations. Tea festivals such as this event therefore contribute to honoring Vietnamese tea culture.
Creating new products for Hue tourism
Mr. Le Van Do, Strategic Advisor for Commercial Product Branding and an expert in the tea and coffee sector, shared that activities such as this festival provide opportunities for local brands to develop and contribute to product creation, thereby promoting tourism development. In reality, international tourists also greatly enjoy drinking tea, which forms a basis for developing suitable products. “For Hue, Truoi tea is already well known, but local people do not yet have much experience in helping this specialty ‘hibernate’ through processing technology. Through the International Tea Festival - Hue 2025, opportunities will open up for exchanges with tea producers and artisans, creating new development directions for Truoi tea as well as suggesting orientations for tourism products,” Mr. Do shared.
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| Truoi tea is introduced and promoted at the International Tea Festival – Hue 2025 |
According to Mrs. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, this is the first time the Department of Tourism of Hue City has coordinated with Hue Monuments Conservation Centre and related units to take the lead in organizing the International Tea Festival, with the participation of Vietnam Tea Association (VITAS) and the ASEAN Tea Organization (ATO). This event is expected to be an important starting point, laying the foundation for the formation of an annual event with cultural, artistic, and tourism depth, contributing to enriching Hue’s identity and enhancing the attractiveness of the destination within the international tourism landscape.
Currently, the tourism sector is researching and developing new products. One of the targeted products is wellness tourism under the Tea & Wellness model, aiming to offer visitors more attractive and diverse experiences during their visits and exploration of Hue, especially during periods of unfavorable weather in the rainy season, thereby expanding its reach to a broader audience. This approach stems from honoring Vietnamese tea culture and revitalizing the tea industry in connection with tourism development.