Billionaire Bill Gates's tea party on top of Ban Co Mountain

Billionaire Bill Gates and his girlfriend take a photo with artisan Hoang Anh Suong (right) after a tea meditation session on Ban Co peak on March 6.

Late on the afternoon of March 6, the road to Son Tra peninsula was closed to visitors, with the reason being to "reserve private space" for a special group of guests attending a tea meditation session with Vietnamese tea artist Hoang Anh Suong, on Ban Co peak, 700 meters above sea level. Two days earlier, two of Mr. Gates' assistants had flown to Hanoi to visit the artist's house to discuss every detail of the tea meditation session.

Artisan Suong, with over 20 years of experience organizing thousands of tea meditation sessions, arrived early on Ban Co peak and brought two ancient tea sets that he often performed for heads of state and ancient lotus and shan tuyet tea from the Ha Giang highlands to treat guests.

Two staff carried the long table up hundreds of stone steps to the top of Ban Co. In Vietnamese culture, especially among the upper class in the past, when drinking tea, they either sat on a mahogany sofa or on a long table. The table was placed next to the chessboard, below was the city covered in a layer of mist, magical like a fairyland.

At 5 p.m., billionaire Bill Gates and his girlfriend arrived at Ban Co Mountain. They slowly walked to the top, while the manager and bodyguards stayed in the parking lot. On the top of Ban Co Mountain, there were Mr. Gates, his girlfriend, artist Hoang Anh Suong, a nun from Da Nang, and two waiters.

The first time he met billionaire Bill Gates, artist Hoang Anh Suong was surprised by the simple style of the two men. They wore T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers like normal guests, fitting the tea-drinking scene in the middle of nature.

Artist Suong welcomed and guided the couple on how to meditate, with the support of a nun from Da Nang because "Westerners are now very interested in meditation". The sound of the small bell ringing in the middle of the mountains and forests made Ban Co peak so peaceful that artist Suong described "you can clearly hear Bill Gates' breathing".

After 10 minutes of meditation to create peaceful energy, artisan Suong mixed two types of lotus-scented Tan Cuong tea to serve the guests. "The first cup of tea I offered, Mr. Bill Gates and Ms. Paula Hurd drank it very quickly. I asked them if the tea was too strong because most Westerners are used to drinking black tea, which has a light taste, while Tan Cuong tea usually has a bitter taste, and received the answer 'very good'. Ms. Paula Hurd seemed to read my mind and explained that at home she also often drinks green tea," Mr. Suong said.

Mr. Bill Gates and his girlfriend were also "exclaimed in surprise" when listening to artisan Suong share the very sophisticated, delicate, and elaborate art of lotus tea brewing of Hanoi people. To brew a kilo of lotus tea, it must be brewed 5-7 times. Each time, about 200 West Lake lotus flowers are used, so to have a kilo of delicious lotus tea, it takes 1,000-1,200 lotus flowers.

"Ms. Paulala Hurd said she now understands why lotus tea is so precious. She also turned to Mr. Bill Gates and joked that you and I are now kings and queens!", Mr. Suong added.

Sensing that the two guests were interested in Vietnamese tea, artisan Suong spent time talking about the way the upper class used to make and enjoy tea, introducing tea making tools, how to choose a teapot, cup, water, how to brew, pour, and how to serve or enjoy the first sip of tea, holding it in the mouth for 5-6 seconds, then pursing the lips and swallowing gently to feel the aroma of the tea. Drinking tea "all at once" is called "nguu am".

"When Bill Gates heard that, he turned to laugh and said to his girlfriend, it turns out that we have always been drinking tea the same way as cows," said Mr. Suong.

Artisan Suong also took the time to introduce the history of Vietnamese tea, the cradle of ancient tea in the world along with China, Japan, and Sri Lanka. He also showed Bill Gates pictures of the vast ancient forests in the provinces of Ha Giang, Son La, Yen Bai, and Lai Chau, with tea trees that are 500-600 years old, including 3 trees up to 8 meters high, with a diameter that 3 people can hug, to the surprise of Bill Gates. Mr. Gates said he had drunk tea in Thailand and thought Thai tea appeared earlier than Vietnamese tea.

Artist Hoang Anh Suong prepares a tea table waiting for Bill Gates on top of Ban Co, afternoon of March 6.

Artist Suong also explained to them that Vietnamese people drink tea in quiet spaces. Ancient sages often went to the mountains or to their study rooms. In quiet spaces, people can open their hearts and that is the opportunity to understand themselves. Understanding oneself is the foundation for understanding others.

"I shared with you that the foundation and essence of tea ceremony is understanding. When you understand each other, then love is true love," Mr. Suong said. They listened with great interest.

The Vietnamese tea artist also introduced that drinking tea is a long-standing tradition of the Vietnamese people. In the past, after dinner, grandparents, parents and children would sit together and drink tea, thanks to which love and connection were very close. But now the tea cup has disappeared in many families. He also explained that with tea meditation, tea is not only for enjoyment but also a way to cultivate the mind and character. Tea becomes a messenger of peace, a messenger of love.

Tea meditation scene on Ban Co peak, afternoon of March 6

"When I talked about love, they showed their love right in front of the witnesses. That made me very happy," Mr. Suong shared.

They were so engrossed in talking about tea that they "forgot to look at their watches because the tea ceremony was scheduled to last an hour." Looking at the watch, it was 20 minutes past the time, and it was pitch black because there was no electricity on the top of Ban Co, so artist Suong took the initiative to end the discussion. Before going down the mountain, they rang the bell with the nun several times to pray for peace and happiness. Artist Suong felt the peace coming to the billionaire and his girlfriend. They said they would return to Vietnam with their family.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/cuoc-thuong-tra-cua-ty-phu-bill-gates-tren-dinh-ban-co-374776.html