Traveling in Vietnam, Hue gave me the most surprises

After crossing the Hai Van Pass🚂 and entering the territory of Hue, it felt like stepping into an ancient Vietnam. Hue was the capital of the last two dynasties of Vietnam, the Tay Son and the Nguyen dynasties👑, hence the city is filled with a large number of relics from the 18th century onwards. An ancient city is always accompanied by an elegant environment, flavorful food, leisurely lifestyle, and long-standing crafts, making Hue a preferred destination for locals to visit ancient sites, savor the culture, and vacation⛱️. This city combines the solemnity of Beijing, the leisure of Chiang Mai, and the folk traditions of Guangzhou. Inside the Imperial City🫅 of Hue, the entire complex is made of wooden structures, with palaces and temples mostly in bright red, while the stone city gates are in a light French-inspired yellow, giving a sense of East meets West. The architecture of the Imperial City is relatively low, and many places are in disrepair🏚️, but there is a tropical ancient feel similar to Angkor Wat, with large and small gates that invite visitors to linger. The most ornate decorations can be found at the West Great Gate, Xian Ren Gate, and the central Chang Chun Gate, where many people dressed in Ao Dai move about, and the Vietnamese like to wear traditional clothing to take wedding photos🎎 here. The main attraction of the Imperial City is leisure. If you're tired of strolling, consider taking a break at a café☕ within the Imperial City, located in a palace pavilion by the water (which should have been the residence of the royal women). Enjoy a cold drink🍃 while watching the fish by the railing, with cool breezes blowing from the lotus pond🪷. Accustomed to the comfort of Vietnam without air conditioning, you can take a walk around the moat at dusk after leaving the Imperial City. Hue is just too delicious! The people of Hue have unique culinary ideas that are different from other parts of Vietnam. First is the signature Hue beef noodle soup🍜Bunbo, which is finer and more robust here, with a richer broth; then there's the Hue sweet soup🍧Che, where the dessert stalls offer a variety of small ingredients in a set, and for about 30 yuan, you get 10-20 stacks of various ingredients and a large cup of ice, allowing you to mix and match freely. Without knowing the secret combinations on the first try, I sneakily watched the locals who seemed to have the delicious formula😋 down pat; the street food in Hue is also interesting, where locals use baguettes🥖 dipped in soy sauce as a staple, and I ordered salt-baked snails and stir-fried bullfrogs, which were very similar to Chinese dishes. Along the banks of the Perfume River outside the Imperial City, it's very worthwhile to take a walk in the afternoon. Dragon head boats🐲 come and go on the river, and as night falls, floating lanterns add to the ambiance. On the southeast side, there are market stalls making traditional handicrafts like conical hats, incense, kites, and bamboo lanterns🏮; on the northeast side, near Dong Ba Market, there are crowded snack stalls🥢; on the southwest side, it's more elegant, with sculptures🗿 and fountains⛲️ lining the riverbank, gardens and art galleries by the roadside, and at night, Vietnamese people come here to enjoy the cool breeze and have picnics, and you can also rent pedal boats🦢 to tour the lake.