I felt dreaming and peaceful when I stood in the middle of a narrow, sparsely populated country road in An Truyen village, also known as Chuon village. This place is only about a 30-minute drive from Hue city center towards Thuan An beach, separate from the noise of the bustling city. The village has a peaceful character with beautiful small roads without sidewalks and barriers, creating the spaciousness of the open space.
Walking on the road, we can freely contemplate and breathe in the freshness under the setting sun, or we can reach out as far as our eyes can see to enjoy the vast lagoon area of the Tam Giang lagoon system, the small boats quietly drifting on the water, and/or the water flowing endlessly to the horizon.
The weather got cooler in the afternoon. We were not alone as An Truyen village welcomed a few tourist buses to experience the famous “Banh Khoai Ca Kinh”. A few couples rode each other on the small roads stretching along both sides of the lagoon, reminding me of romantic Korean movies.
We sat on the rocky shore watching the waves gently crashing, peacefully watching people collecting nets - a slow life immersing in nature. It's so peaceful here. There's almost nothing blocking the view, so the surrounding landscape is airy and vast, with only wind and water.
After a while, we convinced a boatman to take us on a trip to the Tam Giang lagoon on an old motorboat. The boat started the engine, turned the waves, and glided gently. The strong cool wind blew, the smell of the sea, the salty taste on our lips, the sound of water hitting the boat's hull, all of those made us forget the plans for tomorrow; there were only moments left to enjoy the gifts that nature brought to us.
The boat ran forever and ever in that vast area, weaving through seafood farming fences and the mangrove forest. Hue's nature is beautiful and fresh.
The tour by boat around Tam Giang lagoon temporarily stopped. We stopped at a bamboo restaurant on the lagoon to enjoy dinner in the sea breeze with the natural cuisine of heaven and earth. The quiet space in the starry sky, with a few flickering lights at night, makes the countryside of Chuon village even more peaceful.
Just one afternoon of wandering, enjoying the relaxation of the soul in the peaceful, gentle nature, we felt freedom, comfort, and true rest. If only we had more time, we would stay overnight to see more of the peaceful atmosphere at midnight and catch the sunrise over the lagoon in the chilly air.
The coastal people here are as simple, honest, and enthusiastic as our long-time neighbors, giving us a lot of sympathy. An Truyen village not only has “Banh Khoai Ca Kinh”, but its real specialty is peace, the beauty of the fresh, gentle, warm natural landscape with human affection. This is a great place to spend a gentle, comfortable afternoon with your family.