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Amidst the lush greenery, travelers capture stunning photos, indulge in fragrant tea, and delve into the tea culture of Jeju Island.
Living Slow, Eating Clean in the Green Tea Paradise of Jeju Island
Jeju Island has long been renowned for its enticing attractions such as the Mysterious Road, Love Land Park, Teddy Bear Museum, Seongsan Volcano, Seongeup Folk Village, and more. Yet, not everyone knows that Jeju also boasts the world's third-largest green tea plantation spanning thousands of hectares. This area has become a favorite destination for both young people and Korean families visiting Jeju Island.
Arriving here in the morning, the first sight that greets travelers is an endless expanse of green fields, permeated with the scent of tea. The plantation is so vast that visitors spend up to an hour exploring its winding paths and artificial forests. You'll have the opportunity to handpick tea leaves, learn how to dry, process, package them, and finally enjoy freshly brewed tea on the spot. Guides reveal that the tea here meets organic standards, completely free from pesticides or chemicals.
The plantation is also renowned for O'sulloc Tea Museum, where visitors can admire Hallasan Mountain and lush green fields from the observation deck. This is South Korea's first and largest green tea museum, established over three years ago, showcasing various tea leaves once sold in the land of kimchi. The museum also exhibits traditional Korean tea sets, utensils, and a collection of cups and bowls gathered from around the world.
The museum may be small, but the spacious tea house compensates with its stunning view overlooking lush greenery. To delve into the art of tea here, visitors must register in advance. The brewing process initially resembles Japanese tea ceremonies in its meticulousness. The set includes a kettle, teapot, cups, tea bowl, utensils for dry tea, a stand for the kettle, and a dish for tea residue, all crafted in the Hagi style. The water used must be pure, sourced from springs, rainwater, or dew on leaves.
The elegance of tea culture lies in teaching patience, slowness, and respect for others (the first cup of tea is offered to the person sitting next to you). While not difficult, the process involves many steps, easy to forget if not focused. Before sipping, guests must first savor the aroma of the tea by bringing the cup close to their nose. A sip of tea will reveal a warm sensation, leaving a hint of mild bitterness on the palate. Worries of life seem to dissipate entirely in this space. At the end of the session, the Korean instructor will guide you to the tasting area to sample the finest and most expensive teas, already prepared and served.
Guests are also welcomed in the farm's tea cafes, where various green tea-based delicacies are sold, such as pastries, green tea lattes, and fresh cream. Particularly, the green tea rolls and ice cream are perennial favorites, with a balanced sweetness and a touch of bitterness. The prices of food and beverages here are relatively high, but justified for their deliciousness and nutritional value.
Concluding the trip, visitors can explore souvenir stalls to purchase items made from pure green tea. Housewives and beauty enthusiasts often buy green tea powder for baking or concocting homemade facial masks. Moreover, the farm even produces tea bags specifically for bathing, a range of skincare products including makeup remover, facial cleanser, hand cream, and face cream, all packaged in environmentally friendly paper, adhering to the farm's 'green, clean, and beautiful' standards.
Immersed in this 'green tea paradise,' visitors would be surprised to learn that before 1979, this island had neither tea cultivation nor tea appreciation culture. Initially, when establishing the farm, the founders of Amorepacific cosmetics conglomerate intended solely to self-supply raw materials for a line of natural-based cosmetics.
Later on, they aimed to popularize tea culture among domestic consumers. Beyond tea cultivation, the conglomerate built a museum, children's play area, and beautiful, tranquil gardens for tourists to relax and shop. This initiative has contributed to preserving the traditional tea appreciation culture that was gradually fading in South Korea.
Many Vietnamese tourists visiting a tea farm on Jeju Island feel that the tea fields here are not much different from those in Cau Dat tea hill (Lam Dong province). However, what sets the Koreans apart is their ability to create a brand image and a complete, convenient 'ecosystem' to keep tourists of all ages staying longer and shopping more. Above all, places like this are praised for leading the trend of living 'green,' eating clean, and reducing plastic waste to protect the environment.
Source: An An/ Vnexpress
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Reference: Travel guide Mytour
MytourDecember 28, 2018
