It would not be an exaggeration to say that coffee drinking has now become an unique cultural feature of Da Nang. If the city’s streets have no coffee shops, they will become deserted and lifeless. Coffee is obviously indispensable to our daily lives, so no matter who you are, you will always be attracted by this special drink.

Da Nang locals come to coffee shops not only to drink coffee but also to meet and exchange with their friends and others in a cozy space. Photo: ST

Artist Than Trong Dung, the Chairman of the Da Nang Fine Arts Association, remarked that coffee has become an indispensable drink for Da Nang people for a long time. Coffee drinking has become a special cultural feature of the Han Riverside City.

Da Nang locals have their own distinctive way of enjoying coffee so it is no surprise that coffee culture has become an indispensable part of the city’s every day life. Each person has their own unique way in which to enjoy it. For artist Than Trong Dung, traditional Vietnamese Filter Coffee (Black Coffee) is the most attractive to him as he can feel a bitter taste in mouth when the coffee touches his lips. By holding it in your mouth, you're increasing the amount of time you're tasting it, Mr. Dung said.

“I regard coffee as a my best friend as it is always by my side, no matter I am happy or sad. I like the feeling of loneliness while seeing my coffee dripping through the filter that enables me to think deeply about the sweetness and bitterness in my life," remarked artist Than Trong Dung.

Artists are highly sensitive people, so perhaps their way of enjoying coffee is somewhat different from the others. It is be very rare to see familiar and famous faces of artists, writers, poets, musicians in emerging coffee shops in Da Nang.

According to explanations of artist Huynh Kim Ngoc, the Chairman of the Municipal Dancers Association, not only artists but also many people in Da Nang still keep the habit of enjoying traditional Vietnamese coffee, including black coffee and steaming hot coffee that are prepared from roasted coffee beans originated in Central Highlands. Only those who have been drinking coffee since the 80s and 90s of the last century can really appreciate the flavor of traditional Vietnamese coffee drinks in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0.

The unique coffee culture of Viet Nam which has existed relatively unchanged for many decades. In Viet Nam, coffee is considered a cultural legacy and the image of a Vietnamese person relaxing with a coffee has been – and always will be a symbol of Viet Nam. With each cup holding an individual story and representing the diverse regions and cultures of the country, coffee in Viet Nam is a true art of cuisine.

In Da Nang, coffee has become an indispensable drink for many people. Da Nang locals kick start their day with a cup of hot black coffee or a cup of brown coffee. For many people, no matter how busy they are, they will still spend their precious time in the morning on enjoying their favorite cup of coffee before start their day in order to enjoy their hot or iced coffee to think about the sweetness and bitterness in life, and become more grateful in life, as well as understand the unbreakable bonds of human connection.

That's why many generations of artists in Da Nang have always chosen to go to coffee shops to not only to drink coffee, but also to meet and exchange with their friends and others in a cozy space.

“For many years, we have gathered at the familiar coffee shops in Da Nang in order to not only drink coffee but also share worries in our lives or new creative ideas with each other. Our meetings in coffee shops also provide the opportunity for us to help each other make a living, as well as meet with artists from other parts of the country while they are visiting Da Nang," artist Than Trong Dung added.

Young poet Le Hai Ky, a member of the Municipal Writers’ Association said that coffee culture is considered the connecting thread of people in local communities in a bid to find common ground with others to helps us understand them better, as well as shift our perspective to have a positive outlook.

Entering a coffee shop is like entering a miniature society where people of all ages are passionately chatting with everyone around, or carefully and thoughtfully reading newspapers while sipping on cup of coffee. In a coffee shop, some people are very talkative while others are very quiet. Some people like enjoying coffee at roadside cafes while others like drinking coffee in a peaceful setting.

With a boom in types of drinks or coffee drinks that are imported from different countries around the world, traditional Vietnamese coffee is still the top choice for many people in Da Nang, including artists who love old things.

Reporting by KHANH HOA – Translating by H.L