For Vietnamese people, tea is not only a beverage but also a gateway to Vietnamese philosophy and culture. Stemming from the legend of Shennong (Farmer King), the founder of Vietnamese tea, Initially regarded as a medicinal herb, tea gradually evolved into a common beverage for the Vietnamese. Over thousands of years of nation-building and preservation, the Vietnamese people and Vietnamese culture have embraced and blended with various tea cultures from around the world, such as China, Japan, and even the Western aristocratic tea culture. Therefore, when we are talking about Vietnamese tea culture, we are referring to the Vietnamese Tra Thuc, the art of enjoying tea, all deeply related to a rich range of cultural and behavioral aspects of the Vietnamese people: “Mộc” (Wood) symbolizes sincerity, “Văn” (Poetry) symbolizes aesthetics, “Ngự” (Royal) symbolizes essence, “Tĩnh” (Peace) symbolizes the soul and “Thư” (Philosophy) symbolizes intelligence. Vietnamese tea culture is closely tied to the philosophy of yin and yang and the five elements. Through the act of tea drinking, the Vietnamese convey dreams of peace, stability, and growth.
Tea is grown throughout the country, from the northern provinces with ancient tea trees that are over 500 years old to the southern provinces with various new tea cultivars, but most productively in mountainous regions such as Lam Dong province. The total tea cultivation area in Vietnam has stayed at about 130,000 hectares, yielding over 5000 tons of dried tea leaves annually, making Vietnam the fifth-largest tea exporter in the world.
Vietnam currently has more than 400 companies and organizations exporting tea to more than 80 countries and territories worldwide, even though very few of these are large enterprises. Among them, Sandals Company, a traditional and influential tea brand, has played a central role in the growth of domestic and international tea markets. The Sandals Group now owns many long-established tea companies, such as Lam Dong Tea Joint Stock Company (founded in 1936) and Golden Dragon Tea Joint Stock Company (founded in 1976). Lately, Sandals has focused on developing a range of premium tea products that directly compete with high-quality teas from Taiwan. In particular, Sandals is the pioneer in restoring the cultural identity of Vietnamese Tea based on Vietnamese Tra Thuc and behalf of Vietnam introducing Vietnamese tea culture to the world through national programs. Recently, Sandals coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City government to organize the “CEO 100 Tea Connect” program within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum, a tea party successfully connecting 300 entrepreneurs and experts from all over the world. By carrying the quintessence of Vietnamese tea culture, tea has become an effective tool to promote solidarity, peace, stability and development, contributing to promoting cultural exchanges and tea exports between Vietnam and China, Vietnam and Japan.
Given the growing popularity of tea consumption among the younger generation in Vietnam and the favorable government policies, Vietnam is promised to become a trustworthy supplier of top-notch tea products and a robust advocate for Vietnamese tea culture, a culture steeped in the enigmatic traditions of the East.
The Fairyland Resort Corp. is a consultant agency, that coordinated and organized the event WORLD TEA EXPO 2024 to all Vietnamese Tea showcases at the Convention Center - Las Vegas.