“Tea for Harmony”·Yaji Cultural Salon 2026 in the UAE was held in Abu Dhabi on May 20, 2026. H.E.Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence of the UAE; Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman of Rotana Hotel Group; Mishal Kanoo, Chairman of The Kanoo Group; H.E.Asma Al Hammadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture of the UAE; Mohammed Theyab Alahbabi, Director of the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of the UAE; Khalid Askar, Director of the Scientific Research Department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the UAE; Fatima, Deputy Director of the East Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE; as well as diplomatic envoys to the UAE from many countries and guests from various sectors, totaling more than 130 people, attended the event. With tea as the medium, they witnessed tolerance and coexistence in a cup of clear tea, and experienced harmony and shared growth in a wisp of mellow fragrance.
In his speech, Zeng Jixin, China’s ambassador to the UAE, said that Chinese tea culture, after thousands of years of history, has reached the world and is loved by people in the UAE and other countries. It has become a bridge for exchanges between Chinese and foreign civilizations, conveying the value pursuit of harmony in diversity. The “Tea for Harmony” event aims to use tea as a medium and build friendships with friends from the UAE , enhance the friendship between the peoples of the two countries, and promote dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning among China, the UAE, and countries around the world.
The event opened with the classic Chinese folk music “Rising Step by Step,” performed by the folk music group of the China Cultural Center in the UAE. Afterwards, teenagers from China and the UAE recited the tea culture classic “The Classic of Tea,” demonstrating the simplicity, depth, and elegance of Chinese tea culture. Chinese tea masters who have long promoted Chinese culture in the UAE introduced the development history and production techniques of Chinese tea to the guests in accessible language, and guided everyone to personally experience the etiquette of tasting Chinese tea.
During the session “Meeting the Greater Bay Area of China in the UAE: Let’s Yum Cha Sometime,” Chen Shangwen, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai, introduced the “yum cha” culture of China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in a dialogue with the host. He described scenes of “Let’s Yum Cha Sometime” with family and friends from his childhood, and shared the Greater Bay Area people’s food memories of shrimp dumplings and glutinous rice chicken.
In addition to pearl milk tea and pineapple buns from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the organizers also invited a variety of distinctive multicultural beverages to appear at the event, including green tea from the renowned British brand AHMAD TEA produced in a factory in Jiangxi, China, Sri Lankan black tea, Gulf Arab coffee, Moroccan coffee, and South Asian karak tea, showcasing a harmonious scene of exchange and integration among tea cultures of different countries.
In addition to the tea culture display, Guangdong Chamber of Commerce in the UAE also organized intangible cultural heritage displays, including Hanfu presentation, guzheng performance, calligraphy experience, sachet making, and lacquer fan painting. Guests actively took part in the interactive experiences and closely felt Chinese intangible cultural heritage and the Chinese lifestyle aesthetics embodied within it.
This event was guided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and jointly hosted by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the UAE and the China Cultural Center in the UAE.
