DOIDEP Honoured: The Journey of Bringing Vietnamese Tea Heritage to the World

The Federation of UNESCO Associations of Europe and North America and the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations have honoured DOIDEP with the title "Nurturer of the Vietnamese Tea Heritage Journey". The title recognises its efforts to preserve and promote Vietnamese tea and a brand direction rooted in cultural philosophy. Seen as a whole, DOIDEP's activities form a single journey: from meetings around the tea table, expanding into international exchange, and then returning to the depth of art and heritage.

Tea Connect: From the Tea Table to International Encounters

Tea Connect is where the spirit of hospitality is turned into an experience of exchange. Ambassadors and international business leaders have the opportunity to enjoy tea together, talk and experience Vietnamese culture in an intimate, refined setting. In this way, the cup of tea is not just a drink being offered but also opens up stories about people, customs and identity.

That is soft diplomacy: sharing culture through direct experience. From these encounters over cups of tea, DOIDEP has carried this thread of connection to a broader scale at the World T.E.A Fest International Tea Festival - an event held for the first time in 2025.

World T.E.A Fest Opens Up the Story of Vietnamese Tea

If Tea Connect helps guests converse over a cup of tea, World T.E.A Fest creates a space where heritage tea regions, artisans, scientists and businesses from Vietnam and abroad can meet. The festival broadens the ways the public engages with tea through cultural, artistic and hands-on activities, while opening up opportunities to share knowledge, experience and directions for cooperation towards a sustainable tea value chain.

The event therefore not only brings many people closer together but also raises a question: what makes Vietnamese tea distinctive amid multicultural exchange? Part of the answer lies in the Ngu Thuc Viet Tra (Five Styles of Vietnamese Tea) philosophy that DOIDEP has built and developed.

Ngu Thuc Viet Tra: Telling Identity Through the Art of Tea Enjoyment

The five styles of Vietnamese tea are Moc Thuc, Van Thuc, Ngu Thuc, Tinh Thuc and Thu Thuc, associated with five qualities: Truth, Goodness, Beauty, Wisdom and Essence. These stand for simplicity, kindness, refined beauty, depth of wisdom and core value. These qualities can be felt through stories, tea-brewing rituals and flavour.

On this foundation, exchange programmes between the tea cultures of different countries and the Vietnamese way of tea help the public recognise both the meeting points and the distinctive features of each culture. Dialogue does not dilute Vietnamese identity; on the contrary, it helps participants understand more deeply the values embodied in the Vietnamese way of enjoying tea.

This cultural philosophy has also been brought into a historical experience through the Ngu Tra Hoang Cung (Royal Palace Imperial Tea) re-enactment at the Hue Imperial City relic site. The setting, rituals and manners of tea enjoyment at the former royal court are recreated so that participants can picture the solemnity and refinement of the art of tea through the ages. From the concept of the five styles to court rituals, heritage is told through both ideas and tangible experiences.

One Shared Journey, Many Ways of Spreading

From Tea Connect to World T.E.A Fest, and from Ngu Thuc Viet Tra to Ngu Tra Hoang Cung, these activities are not separate from one another. Together they show that tea can connect people, open up cultural exchange and preserve national memory. Each stage has its own form of expression, but all help bring the art of Vietnamese tea enjoyment closer to the public.

The title "Nurturer of the Vietnamese Tea Heritage Journey" recognises an approach that combines brand development with cultural preservation. Through encounters, festivals and experience-rich rituals, DOIDEP continues to spread the story of Vietnamese tea so that friends at home and abroad can discover that identity.

Source: World Tea Fest