American billionaire Bill Gates and girlfriend Paula Hurd had a Vietnamese tea meditation experience under the guidance of Hanoi-based beverage artisan Hoang Anh Suong.
The session was held at the Ban Co mountain peak in Son Tra district, Danang city last week.
Suong has been spreading Vietnam’s tea culture within the country and abroad for more than 20 years. He has organized thousands of tea meditation sessions for people from all walks of life – politicians, businessmen, artists, intellectuals, students and even monks.
But this was the first time he was doing it for an American billionaire and the first time it was held on a mountain top with the ambience of clouds, breeze, sunset and the murmur of sea waves.
Suong took with him two ancient tea sets that he has used to serve heads of state, along with Lotus and Snow Shan tea.
With the previous experience of organizing tea meditation sessions for a number of heads of state and famous tea masters from Japan and China, “I did not feel stressed or worried and the preparation was very quick," he said.
A nun from Danang joined the event and Suong guided the couple with her help.
Vietnam is one of the oldest tea cradles in the world with many old plantations on high mountains in the northern provinces of Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Son La and Yen Bai, Suong said.
He said the visitors were interested in knowing about the ancient tea traditions.
Bill Gates and his girlfriend Paula Hurd paid a four-day visit to Danang starting March 4.