Minister of Culture Fadli Zon: Tea as a Bridge of Indonesian - Chinese Culture
JAKARTA - Minister of Culture (Menbud) Fadli Zon said that tea culture could be a bridge for Indonesian and Chinese cultural diplomacy. This seemingly simple tradition, he said, carries a long meaning about dialogue, respect, and cooperation between nations.
This was conveyed by Fadli when attending the International Tea Day commemoration entitled "Tea for Harmony, Shared Beauty" which was held by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China at the Discovery SCBD Hotel, Jakarta, Thursday, May 21.
"Simple but meaningful tea can be a bridge between civilizations. Culture has the power to build peace, strengthen international cooperation, and create a space for respectful dialogue," said Fadli.
Fadli appreciated China's success in registering Traditional Chinese Tea Processing Techniques and Associated Social Practices to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022.
According to the Minister, Indonesia also has a strong tea tradition. The history of Nusantara as one of the important tea producing regions makes the tea drinking culture grow in many areas, from traditional practices to new habits among young people.
Fadli also touched on Indonesia's position as a country with great cultural diversity. Currently, Indonesia has 16 intangible cultural heritages that have been inscribed by UNESCO, including wayang, batik, herbal medicine, angklung, and saman dance.
The cultural relationship between Indonesia and China, said Fadli, has lasted for centuries through trade, migration, and cultural exchange. The traces are visible in the coastal batik motifs, the development of wayang kulit, to the similarity of the artistic elements of Peking Opera with a number of traditional Indonesian performances.
He also assessed that Indonesian herbal medicine has a common point with the tradition of tea and traditional Chinese medicine. Both are rooted in herbal knowledge, disease prevention, and community practices.
"These examples show that culture grows through dialogue, adaptation, and mutual respect," said Fadli.
He said Indonesia welcomed the strengthening of cultural cooperation with China, ranging from art collaboration, preservation of cultural heritage, museums, creative industries, education, to youth exchange.
Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Wang Lutong said tea has long been a medium of civilization and a message of peace across countries.
"In the tea ceremony, everyone enjoys the same tea and is served with great respect. Tea teaches harmony, sharing benefits, and strengthens connections between nations," said Wang.
The Chairman of the DPD RI, Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin, also assessed that the tea culture contains the meaning of friendship and dialogue in the midst of global dynamics.
"Friendship does not mean uniformity, but harmony in diversity," he said.
The event featured demonstrations of Chinese tea art, cultural performances, Indonesian and Chinese tea exhibitions, and a robotics performance that combined technology and culture.