Tea drinking is an age-old habit in many parts of the world. Different people at different times have their own methods of drinking tea. But consuming tea is not only a way to quench one's thirst: for some, it is an art form and a religious practice. In Viet Nam, as well as in other countries, tea has long been a part of traditional medicine and philosophy. Today, tea drinking remains a noble pastime, which requires much time and patience to perfect.
To the Japanese, drinking tea does not merely satisfy a material need; in Japan, it has developed into a belief system called Chado, with its own concept and rituals. Chado, like Judo, Kyodo or Kendo, is considered a means for personal improvement. Chado is a way to cultivate patience and calmness. The disciples of Zen use tea as a kind of medicine that enables them to keep their minds clear during their long periods of meditation. Through performing its rituals one enters a quiet place. Lost in the fragrance of tea, one strives to silence one's soul and forget the hustle-bustle of the outside world.
To the Chinese, tea not only improves one's health, but also one's manners. Through drinking tea, a person acquires such types of refinement as being able to appreciate the fragrance of tea, to recite poetry, to perceive harmony in the arrangement of a tea set. It teaches one to enjoy flowers and the sight of the moon, clears one's mind to comtemplate worldly affairs or plunge into meditation.
Tea is no less important in Hue. For the Vietnamese in Hue, drinking tea is also an art form; it is an intellectual, aesthetic, and sentimental activity. In ancient times, a man was judged by three things: his view of life, his capacity to appreciate beauty, and the way he drank his tea.
No one in Viet Nam is unfamiliar with tea, but only in Hue did tea-drinking become elevated to a level that matches that of China and Japan, for in the 19th century, Hue became the new capital of a new line of kings and the home of a nobility, whose forms of entertainment and pursuits of pleasure were different from those of the noble classes of the previous dynasty in Bắc Hà (Northern Viet Nam). During the Nguyễn Dynasty, the noble class sought to create a cultural, political and social style different from that of their dynastic predecessors, especially the Lê and the Trịnh. The new nobility modelled itself mainly on the Chinese court, though the latter's customs and beliefs were altered somewhat to suit the geography and the character of the people of Hue. Thus, there are many similarities as well as significant differences between Hue's tea culture and that of China.
The Japanese attach great importance to the setting in which tea is consumed, while the Chinese place more emphasis on the flavour of the tea itself. However, the people of Hue give these factors a secondary role. For them, it is the occasion and the guests which determine how, where and when the tea is served. Sometimes one drinks tea before a party; sometimes tea ends the party by revitalizing tired or intoxicated guest. Tea quenches the thirst, helps to get rid of the smell of alcohol on one's breath, calms and relaxes one's mind.
In the old days, the nobility in Hue devoted a great deal of time to drinking tea. And they engaged in all sorts of solemn and complex rituals. Several factors determined the success of a tea party: where the party was held, the quality and arrangement of the tea set, the type of tea, and the water used.