May 21 is the "International Tea Day" established by the United Nations General Assembly. Recently, Chinese tea culture experience activities were held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Vietnam, Serbia and other countries, attracting many people to feel the charm of oriental tea culture.

On the evening of the 21st, the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, held a demonstration and celebration of "Tea and the World" International Tea Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Xinyang, Henan Province, as a famous tea producing area in China, was invited to participate in the event. The inheritors of paper cutting, dough figurines and shadow play from Xinyang demonstrated their exquisite skills on the scene. Tea artists made the local famous Xinyang Maojian, and the tea aroma intoxicated the guests present.

Dai Bing, the Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, said in his speech that "small tea bears the responsibility of promoting sustainable development". It is hoped that by jointly celebrating the "International Tea Day", tea will become a link to enhance exchanges and friendship, help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and jointly paint a beautiful picture of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The "Tea and the World · Gathering" and China Guangxi Cultural Tourism Promotion Conference were held in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, on the 21st. The activity uses tea as a medium, supplemented by artistic performances, picture exhibitions, cultural tourism promotion, tea tasting and other forms to show Guangxi's ethnic customs and tourism resources.

He Wenchao, Deputy Director of Vietnam National Tourism Administration, said in his speech that this activity is not only to promote Guangxi's cultural tourism resources, but also an important opportunity to promote mutual visits between Vietnamese and Chinese tourists, strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and share experience in sustainable tourism development. Wang Qun, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, said that China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers and share many common cultural values, of which tea culture is one. I hope to take this opportunity to further strengthen cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between China and Vietnam.

On the 21st, the Chinese Embassy in the United States, together with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Hubei Province and the American Chinese Museum in Washington, D.C., held the 2024 "Tea and the World · Gathering" activity. The Hubei delegation cooperated with local tea artists in the United States to show the production techniques of Enshi Yulu, Changshengchuan Green Brick Tea and Jingwei Fu Tea, as well as representative tea products, tea utensils and tea making tools, and performed the tea art on the spot. Guests said that the event gave them a full appreciation of the affinity and cohesion of Chinese tea culture.

In his speech, Jing Quan, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the United States, said that tea is deeply rooted in Chinese life and is a symbolic cultural symbol of China. The reserved and moderate tea has forged the background of the Chinese national character, reflecting the way China gets along with the world. Tea has also played an important role in the history of Sino US relations. Although the history, culture and national conditions of China and the United States are different, this does not prevent everyone from sitting down to enjoy tea and exchange, and jointly explore the way of harmony without difference.

"Tea and the World · Gathering" was held at the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade, Serbia, on the 21st. Nearly 200 guests immersively experienced the tea making process and watched the intangible cultural heritage performance in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. The assistant minister of the Ministry of Tourism and Youth of Serbia, Denici, said that this activity provides a rare opportunity to taste authentic Chinese tea and learn how to make tea.

Li Ming, the Chinese ambassador to Serbia, said in his video address that he expected Serbian friends to immerse themselves in the charm of Quanzhou, feel the charm of tea culture, jointly promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Serbia, and make new and greater contributions to building a common destiny between China and Serbia in the new era through the "Tea and the World · Gathering" activity.

The lecture on "Chinese tea culture" was held at the Chinese Culture Center in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on the 21st. Wang Jianrong, academic member of the China International Tea Culture Research Association and founder of the Association of Friends of Camellia, explained Chinese tea culture and performed tea art performances for local tea lovers. The lectures were interspersed with tasting activities of several varieties of tea.

Xia Guangyuan, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Belarus and Director of the Minsk Chinese Culture Center, delivered a speech, saying that he hoped that more local friends would like and understand Chinese tea culture through activities.

On the eve of the "International Tea Day", the third tea culture festival organized by the Confucius Institute in Brittany, France and other organizations was held on the 20th in the Morepa Park in Rennes, northwest France. Chinese and foreign tea experts, tea artists, tea farmers and ceramists gathered together to invite people to understand tea culture from all aspects.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 22) Participating journalists: Wang Jiangang, Hu Jiali, Deng Xianlai, Shi Zhongyu, Lu Jinbo, Zhang Baihui)

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