The road leading to Son Tra Peninsula restricted visitors this afternoon to special visitors attending the tea meditation session at a height of 700m above sea level.
Two days before, two of Gates’ assistants flew to Hanoi and visited the home of Vietnamese tea artist Hoang Anh Suong to discuss every detail of the tea meditation session.
Suong, who has led thousands of tea meditation sessions for more than 20 years, was at the Ban Co summit early in the afternoon and brought with him two antique tea sets that he often uses to serve heads of state, as well as lotuses and ancient snows. Shan teas.
Two travel agency staff carried a set of antique tables and chairs to climb hundreds of stone steps to the top of Ban Co. In Vietnamese culture, especially among the old wealthy class, it is common to sit and drink tea on antique tables and chairs. .
The tables and chairs were placed next to a fairy chessboard, so named because the chessboard sits next to a fairy statue, with a layer of mist underneath.
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Hoang Anh Suong prepares a tea table for Bill Gates on top of Ban Co Mountain in Da Nang, next to a fairy-tale chessboard, March 6, 2024. Photo provided by Hoang Anh Suong |
At 5 p.m., Gates and his girlfriend arrived at the base of the mountain and walked to the top together, while his representative and bodyguards remained at the bottom.
A nun from Da Nang joined them at the top of Ban Co that day.
Suong said that when he met Gates and his girlfriend, he was surprised by their simple style, with T-shirts, jeans and sneakers.
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(L to R) A nun from Da Nang joins Bill Gates, his girlfriend Paula Hurd and tea artist Hoang Anh Suong for a tea meditation session atop Ban Co Mountain in Da Nang on March 6 2024. Photo provided by the Hoang Anh Suong Facebook page |
Suong guided the couple on how to meditate, with the nun’s help, because “Western people are very interested in meditation now,” he said.
He added that the atmosphere at the top of the mountain was so peaceful that he could “hear Gates’ breathing clearly.”
After 10 minutes of meditation, Suong prepared two types of Tan Cuong tea marinated with lotus flowers.
“The first cups of tea I offered them, Bill Gates and Paula Hurd drank them very quickly. I asked them if the tea was too strong because most Westerners are used to drinking black tea, to taste light, while lotus tea usually has a pungent taste. , I got the response ‘very delicious’,” Suong said.
Tan Cuong tea is a famous brand from Thai Nguyen province in northern Vietnam.
“Paula Hurd explained that at home she also drinks green tea,” Suong said.
Gates and Hurd were also surprised as they listened to Suong talk about the sophisticated and elaborate art of lotus tea pickling among the Hanoians. A kilo of lotus tea needs to be marinated five to seven times, each time with about 200 lotus flowers from Hanoi’s West Lake, he told them.
Hurd turned to Gates and joked, “You and I now become king and queen! (for drinking such precious tea),” Suong said.
Suong also spent time explaining how to prepare and enjoy tea according to the ancient royal way, introduced tea preparation tools and how to choose a teapot, cup, water and how to brew, pour and how to serve or enjoy the first sip of tea for 5 people. -6 seconds, then purse your lips and swallow gently to smell the aroma of tea.
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Bill Gates (left) and his girlfriend Paula Hurd sit across from tea artist Hoang Anh Suong during a tea ceremony atop Ban Co mountain in Da Nang, as a nun watches distance, March 6, 2024. Photo provided to VnExpress |
Suong explained to his guests that Vietnamese always choose quiet places to drink tea: ancient masters often went to the mountains or to their study rooms. In a calm space, people have the opportunity to understand each other.
“The foundation and essence of the tea ceremony is about understanding. When you understand each other, love is true love,” Suong recalled what he said to Gates.
He also explained that with tea meditation, tea was not just a pleasure but a way to cultivate the mind.
“When I was talking about love, both of them showed their love right in front of us. It made me very happy,” Suong shared.
They were so engrossed in talking about tea that they forgot to look at the clock and so the tea ceremony lasted 20 minutes longer than the planned one-hour duration, he said.
Suong took the initiative to end the conversation, since Gates and Hurd told him they would return to Vietnam with their families.
The couple left Da Nang on their private jet on Thursday evening.
