Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
Tea from Vietnam — a touring photography exhibition, 2026
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
TEA FROM
VIETNAM
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン arrives in Saigon this September, following its presentation in Tokyo. Developed over a year by TINH, a Vietnamese tea boutique, this photography exhibition of tea from Vietnam returns to its source. Touring exhibitions between Japan and Vietnam are rare, and we are honoured to host this one in the most artistic space of SaigonMuse Boutique Gallery.
Since 2010, SaigonMuse has been a hidden cultural way through Saigon. In historic District 3, our boutique gallery, working embroidery studio and bespoke atelier open onto a deeper, more authentic side of the city, away from the tourist trail. Here, visitors meet the makers and discover the stories stitched into every piece.
This September, we invite you into a conversation between two crafts. Tea and hand embroidery share a slow rhythm: patience, and hands that know their materials and honour what is true. Join our gallery tour, where our lead embroidery artist, An Doan, and the makers behind Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン speak about their artistic journeys. You will also see our hand embroidery collection of Tea Flower motifs, created in collaboration with TINH.
Free entrance, daily 10:00–17:00.
Please register to join the exhibition here: REGISTRATION LINK
For more information and the exhibition activities, visit the official website of the event: OFFICIAL WEBSITE LINK
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
I wanted more people to know the landscapes, the lives of the people, and the origins behind every cup of tea. That is why we decided to hold this exhibition. - Seina Uchida, Founder of Tinh-
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
Relying on the relationships Tinh's founder built with growers over repeated visits, photographer Nguyen Son Tung was guided into the tea-producing communities, where his own perspective merged with hers
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
In the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam, a rich tea culture continues to thrive in harmony with nature — yet this way of life has rarely been documented or shared, even within Vietnam itself.
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
This exhibition records that culture, opens a new space for dialogue between Japan and Vietnam, and aims to support the sustainable development of Vietnam's tea industry
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
The exhibition captures everyday life in Vietnam's northern mountain tea-growing regions — a culture that has rarely been documented or shared, even within Vietnam itself.
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
Much like the artisan tea trees curated by Tinh—where wild roots absorb centuries of mountain mist before a single shoot is harvested—every garment we make is treated not as seasonal apparel, but as a living record of patience, patience steeped in time.
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
When we think of tea, we usually think of the harvest—the emerald bud, the dried leaf, the liquid amber in a cup. But before any of that exists, there is the tea flower: a quiet blossom blooming in the mist of the high mountains.
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
When you look at a wild mountain tea flower in morning mist, the petals are catching cold sky, warm sun, and damp earth all at once.
Echoes of Life — いのちのバトン
When you view our work today, we invite you to look beyond the surface. Feel the breath, the patience, and the resilient creative spirit of the Vietnamese women who brought this art to life.