The topography of Hue is a colorful watercolor painting. The West leans against the majestic Truong Son mountain range. The East faces the sea. Connecting the East and the West is the Bach Ma rangeand Hai Van pass, forming an arc embracing Hue. The accumulation of water vapor makes the ancient capital the rainiest place in our country.
A corner of An Hien garden house. Photo: Bao Minh
When the rain is gone, the sun comes. The scorching hot weather causes so much rain that Hue people consider it a specialty.
In the morning, it is great to enjoy a hot bowl of beef noodle soup. The hot bowl of beef noodle soup includes sweet stock without grease, the aroma of shrimp paste, mixed with the aroma of lemongrass, and the spiciness of chili peppers. Lemongrass makes the bowl of beef noodle soup smell good while the shrimp paste gives it a rich flavor. Enjoying a hot bowl of beef noodle soup will warm your heart on a cold day and energize you to explore the land of memory of many romantic souls.
Visiting the complex of Hue monuments, the Imperial Citadel always attracts me most even though I have come there many times, because of the unique features of architecture as well as being able to enjoy the culture of the ancient court rituals. Every time the Imperial Citadel is open, there will be visitors. Despite the pandemic situation, the love for the ancient capital could not be compared. As foreign tourists have not been able to come yet, the city has embellished it and restored some local tourism activities.
In addition to ancient temples, palaces, and mausoleums, the ancient capital is also famous for the land of mountains and rivers with the poetic Huong River and Ngu mountain. That scene is even more romantic when wearing a mist robe.
In the pouring rain, Hue became quieter. At this time, Hue is peaceful, poetic, and profound. Beside the Huong river, near Thien Mu pagoda, there is the land of Kim Long. This land in the past was only for famous families, so there still exist the great garden houses until today.
The garden house is a typical architectural form of Hue. It has both an aristocratic appearance and traditional folk colors. Currently, in Hue, there are still hundreds of garden houses with extremely unique designs and architecture.
Among those hundreds of garden houses, An Hien garden house is probably the most typical, exemplary, and distinctive work of Hue Ancient Capital. The entrance to the garden house is a small arch gate built of lime brick. Along the path are two rows of white plum trees intertwined, shading the whole area.
Turn left and you will see a rectangular lake completely covered with water lilies and lotus flowers. In addition, in the garden, there are many more fruit trees such as tangerines, mangosteens, durians, dragon fruits, apricots, persimmons, lychees, and pomelos.
Coming to An Hien on a rainy day, the sound of rain settles in every corner. In the house of more than 100 years old, you will deeply feel why Hue garden house is a peaceful place, a shelter for the serene and mighty souls of Hue. I love the pure appearance in every drop of rain, love the peaceful and poetic scenery, love the people of the ancient capital, love the delicious dishes that only Hue can have, love the gentle appearance, and love the sweet voice!
Those discovering the ancient capital should not miss Dong Ba market. Going to Dong Ba market in the cold and wet weather is also a pleasure, seeing the uniqueness of the traditional market in Vietnam.
As soon as I entered the market, I was overwhelmed by the specialties of the ancient capital: candies fruits, Me Xung (soft sesame candies), lotus seeds, royal tea, and specialties of the Central region. The most attractive scene is the row of Hue pastes because of its distinctive scent and eye-catching colors. It's just fish and shrimp, but it has a very unique taste, very Hueish. In addition, the paste is also modified with agricultural products such as cucumbers, eggplants, and spring onions to create many unique kinds of paste.
Going around the market and visiting sweet-soup stalls, I chose a cup of Che Bot Loc (Bot Loc sweet-soup) and my friend chose Che Chuoi (banana sweet-soup). I feel the stickiness of the outer layer, the crunchiness of the coconut and peanuts, and the fragrant coconut milk. And my friend said Che Chuoiwith a combination of ripe yellow bananas soaked in honey gave the sweet-soup a very beautiful color.
The Che (sweet-soup) is made very meticulously when the bananas are peeled, soaked in honey, and grilled on the charcoal, then cut into small pieces and soaked in the fragrant coconut milk along with the bubbles topping. The Che is very suitable to eat on a hot summer day because of the coolness that you definitely have to try it. I look forward to another opportunity to enjoy Che Chuoi. Many Che dishes have Hue's own characteristics.
Deep into the market are small traders with seniority in the profession. Standing in front of all kinds of conical hats, I struggled to know which one to choose. My smart friend showed me how to distinguish durable and long-lasting conical hats and conical hats just for decoration. Conical hats with thick leaves are everyday hats while thin hats are used for decoration.
The most unique is the conical hat with a poem on it, at first glance it is impossible to recognize, but when brought up to the light, the scenery of Hue appears with captivating poems. My friend said that in the past, the confession was very romantic, boys and girls just needed to write letters and then gave them to each other. Absorbed in contemplating it, you are to see the talent of the people of the ancient capital.
The space in the market is narrow but quite close with the sweet sound of the offers. We wandered upstairs to tailors’ stalls. The tailors here are elderly; and due to the pandemic situation, there are very few people. Despite being old, the fire of love for the profession still burns as the beginning.
With a traditional sewing machine, the tailors have created traditional costumes and flags that are second to none. Amidst the bustle of the city, there is still an old note called nostalgia. Looking at the tailors' care, I feel like I can see time going back with each movement of the needle.
After exploring the market, we wandered to the streets to enjoy Hue's specialty: the rain. Hue rain at first is annoying, but when immersed in the rain, you will miss it more. Come and live in Hue to feel the poetic beauty that holds many people back, to love Hue, to love the people of Hue, to love the land and sky of Hue, to love the ancient things and even the small and ordinary things in Hue.
By PHAM THI MY LIEN