To make a good cup of tea, the most important aspect is the processing. Experienced tea makers say: "To make tea delicious, four things must be sufficient..." See more
Lê Mạnh
Hello!
I am a physical education teacher. My daily work is closely tied to the sound of whistles on the training field, energetic exercises, and a spirit of discipline. However, few know that behind the somewhat tough exterior of a PE teacher lies a soul passionate about the serene beauty of nature and the traditional values hidden in the misty highlands.
Each person's life is a journey, and the most fateful journey of mine is the one to Khuổi My – the land shrouded in clouds year-round in Hà Giang. I initially came here not to make tea, but to satisfy my passion for photography. However, it was through the lens of my camera that I touched the soul of the centuries-old Shan Tuyết tea trees. From that moment, my life took a new direction: to become a connector, bringing the essence of Khuổi My tea to everyone through the Khuổi My Cooperative.
Photography for me is not just a hobby; it is my way of communicating with the world. A physical education teacher often focuses on movement, but when I hold a camera, I learn to pause. I have spent hours patiently waiting for a ray of sunlight to pierce through the thick fog at the peak of Khuổi My, just to capture the moment when the young tea buds still glisten with dew, sparkling like green jewels amidst the vast wilderness. You know, the ancient Shan Tuyết tea here is strangely beautiful. The gnarled, moss-covered trunks, weathered by the elements, stand tall amidst the sky like witnesses of history.
Through the lens, I see the resilience of tea. They are not nurtured by chemicals, nor do they have the harsh intervention of human hands. They grow with the spirit of the mountains and forests, with the lifeblood carefully drawn from Mother Earth. Each photo I take of the Khuổi My tea tree carries a story of survival and pure beauty. It is these images that urge me: "Why should such a treasure remain in a distant village? Why not use these hands to take it further?"
Khuổi My is not just a place; it is a heritage land. At an altitude of over 1000 meters above sea level, the climate here is cool year-round, shrouded in mist. This unique soil condition has created the "one-of-a-kind" Shan Tuyết tea.
I love Khuổi My tea because it is honest. It does not flatter with flavorings, nor deceive the eye with artificial colors. It embodies all the finest gifts that nature has bestowed upon the land of Hà Giang. For me, enjoying tea is a ritual to reconnect with my true self. After exhausting teaching hours or mountain climbing photo hunts, I often sit down and brew a pot of Khuổi My Shan Tuyết tea.
Watching the delicate smoke rise from the teacup, I see the misty mountain peaks again, the smiles of the Dao women picking tea, and I find tranquility within my soul. Tea teaches me about gratitude: gratitude for nature that nurtures the tea plants, gratitude for the hands that craft each tea strand, and gratitude for life that has given me the opportunity to be a bridge bringing this essence to you.
I am still a PE teacher, still carrying my camera across the hills whenever I have the chance, but now, my most important role is as a storyteller of Khuổi My tea. Through the Khuổi My Cooperative, I want to offer you not just a beverage, but a cultural experience, a piece of the soul of the highlands of Hà Giang. Each pot of tea you brew helps us preserve another ancient tea tree and supports a family in the ethnic community to have a better life.
Let me – a teacher, a photographer, and a tea lover – guide you into the world of Khuổi My ancient Shan Tuyết tea. A place where each tea bud is imbued with dew and human warmth.