Tea tasting, painting viewing, flower viewing, listening to the piano... Around the International Tea Day in 2023, people in some countries received an elegant Chinese gift.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism collaborated with international organizations and Chinese embassies and consulates abroad to hold the "Tea and the World" event in 43 countries around the world, attracting overseas people to experience the rich and colorful Chinese tea culture through various forms such as physical objects, pictures, videos, theatrical performances, intangible cultural heritage displays, exchanges and interactions.
Using tea as a medium, crossing borders and bringing friendship closer. This immersive Chinese culture promotion activity is loved by people.
When the word "tea" is taken apart, it means "man in the grass and trees". Tea and the world not only interpret the concept of the unity of heaven and man, but also contain the common values of the Chinese nation implicit and harmonious, which meet the needs of today's world.
The mainland is the first country in the world to plant tea plants and make tea, and tea culture is deeply integrated into Chinese life, becoming an important carrier for inheriting Chinese culture. The Silk Road, the Ancient Tea Horse Road, the Wanli Tea Ceremony, etc., spread Chinese tea to the world.
In November 2022, "Traditional Chinese Tea-Making Techniques and Related Customs" was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The inheritance and development of Chinese tea culture has ushered in new opportunities.
On May 15, the "Tea and the World" activity was launched in Prince Gong's Mansion in Beijing, and 75 diplomats from 41 countries and international organizations, including 16 ambassadors to China and representatives of 2 international organizations, were invited to participate.
On May 19, local time, the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations held a series of celebrations of "International Tea Day" at the United Nations Headquarters, with more than 100 guests from more than 20 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Singapore, Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Argentina and South Africa.
A small tea leaf, integrating the wisdom of ancestors and today's people, carries profound cultural significance, crosses mountains and seas, and transmits common values.
At the "Tea and the World" event held at the Chinese Cultural Center in Madrid, the guqin was melodious and the tea fragrance was fragrant, and the tea artist demonstrated the tea brewing skills and served fragrant tea to the audience. One guest said: "Participating in this event not only increased the knowledge about tea, but also gained a deeper understanding of China's values of respect for nature and harmonious coexistence. ”
On May 6th, at the Hellenic Cultural Foundation, the teacher of Beijing Tea Time-honored Shop explained the classification of Chinese tea and the story of tea culture.
In Athens, Greece, the teacher of a famous tea brand in Beijing explained the story of Chinese tea culture in detail; At the Chinese Cultural Center in Paris, the guests learned how to smell incense, look at colors, taste tea, and watch vessels.
The "Tea and the World" Public Open Day held by the Chinese Cultural Center in Laos attracted nearly 600 participants. The audience wrote their testimonials on the message wall: "I will never forget the smell of tea", "Through tea, I have the idea of going to China", "I wish the friendship between China and Laos will last forever"...
On May 20th, the "Tea and the World" Yaji Public Open Day was held at the Chinese Cultural Center in Laos.
Meet friends with tea and tell the story of Chinese civilization. The activities are skillfully combined with literature, music, dance, fine arts, martial arts, food, opera, intangible cultural heritage skills, etc., to show the inheritance and innovation of oriental life aesthetics.
At the Yaji event held by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, young writers from Jiangsu gave a lecture on the theme of "Follow the Aroma of Tea in Jiangsu", introducing the story of tea in "Dream of Red Mansions", and the audience also tasted the world-famous Fuchun tea on the spot.
On May 13th, the "Tea and the World" event was held at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre.
The Berlin Chinese Cultural Center held an activity in the "Deyue Garden" stone fang of the Chinese Garden of the Berlin World Park, and the guqin teacher used guqin songs such as "Youlan" and "Pingsha Falling Goose" to talk with tea; Stockholm Chinese Cultural Center specially organized special experience activities for young people, presenting "Dragon Walking Eighteen Styles" tea art performance, sword art performance, Sichuan opera performance...
On May 24, the event walked into the Russian State Duma. Tea artists from Yunnan brewed different kinds of tea such as De'ang sour tea, Bai three-course tea and Pu'er tea, and the actors and non-genetic inheritors showed Bai tie-dye, Yi embroidery, handmade paper cutting, etc.
With tea, the circle of like-minded friends is getting bigger and bigger.
Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sultan Kirati, said that China and Nepal have similar tea culture concepts and regard tea as a symbol of hospitality, warmth and goodwill. Kadeseb, mayor of Port Louis, Mauritius, introduced that Mauritian people love to drink tea, and Chinese green tea and jasmine tea are widely popular.
The person in charge of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that in the future, under the framework of the "Cultural Silk Road" plan, a Chinese tea culture promotion plan will be formulated and implemented, telling Chinese stories well and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.
It is understood that UNESCO will further carry out activities conducive to the sustainable production and consumption of tea through research to protect traditional skills and practices related to tea.
The tea fragrance and tea rhyme are long and timeless, and the story of Chinese tea culture continues wonderfully.
Reporter: Zhou Wei
Photo courtesy of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism