Have you ever seen a Vietnamese tea ceremony?
Yes, you heard that right.
Vietnam once had its own refined tea practice called Chuyên Trà. It began taking shape in the late Lê period and gradually matured during the Nguyễn dynasty, influenced in part by Min Nan tea culture but transformed into something distinctly Vietnamese.
What makes it especially fascinating is that it was not just about drinking tea, but about an entire tea set and a whole way of life. A traditional bộ trà chuyên included the ấm chuyên (brewing teapot), chén tống (fairness cup / blending cup), chén quân (drinking cups), kỷ trà (tea tray), dầm (dish for the teapot and fairness cup), bàn (dish for the drinking cups), ống nhổ (waste-water container), siêu đồng (copper kettle), and hỏa lò (charcoal brazier). Each piece had its own role, together creating a very refined Vietnamese way of enjoying tea.
Today, this tradition has almost disappeared, with only faint traces left behind. That is exactly why we want to bring attention back to it.