96
Smile
May2016
il
/April 2016
Huewasalreadyamajor touristdraw.But
while theentirecountryhasbecomemore
cosmopolitanwith the influxof foreign
visitors, thisone-time imperial capital
andseatof therulingNguyendynasty
still remainscuriously insulated from the
breakneckchangesbeingwitnessed in
Hanoi and,mostespecially, furthersouth in
HoChiMinhCity.
MuchofHue, bycontrast, feelsrelatively
unchanged, even in the touristcenters;
therearemorehotelsandmanymore
tourist-orientedrestaurants, but thecore
remainsessentially thesame.Taxisare
ubiquitousnow,we found, thoughbicycles
andmotorcyclesremain thebestway to
getaround.Walking isanoption, ofcourse,
andwhileHuedoesnothave the tree-lined
streetsofHanoi, thebridges that span the
poeticallynamedPerfumeRiverareample
reason togetout forastroll to theopposite
bank.Thecity, incidentally, began to light
up themainbridgeabout 10yearsago—
notasgaudyas it sounds. It’saquietbut
Pinoy to theworld
Two-wheeledtours
By the time the trainpulls intoHue, you’ll
bemore thanready to leave the train.
Fortunately, thereward for this12-hour trip
isby farmy favoritecity in thecountry.
Hue, located in themiddleofVietnam,
issteadilygainingpopularityamong
travelersas thegrowingnumberof short-
hauldomesticflights fromeitherendof
thecountryhasmadeaccess farmore
convenient.Not that thecityhasever
wanted forvisitors—even20yearsago,
Incontrast to the larger citiesofHoChiMinhandHanoi,muchofHue feels relatively
unchanged, even in tourist centers
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Awomanpaddlesonher floating store
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ThienMuPagoda, likemuchofHue,hasagedbeautifully
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Lotuspondsarea sourceof rawmaterials for fabrics
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Women focusonembroidery in theworkshopsof a
thriving linen industry
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Decked-out boatsonSongHuongorPerfumeRiver
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