Hue is an original place to welcome whoever love romance, leisure. Hue is not only beautiful on days with blue sky, white clouds, and sunshine. Indeed, if you have the opportunity to experience slow travel to see Hue in the rain, you will feel all the contemplation, tenderness and poetry of the beautiful ancient capital.
Hue and rain
Someone once said, if you have not walked in the rain in Hue, you have not understood Hue. Indeed, Hue is not only associated with a long history, with mausoleums and temples, Hue is also associated with rain. When talking about rain, people remind about Hue. Thinking about Hue, one can not neglect the rain.
Both rain and Hue are just as lovely! So when Hue and Rain blend together, it becomes even more romantic and nostalgic. Writer Le Vu Truong Giang once wrote: “No one complains about the rain. Rain is a gift to the land. Over the past few hundred years, it has been seeding in this land.” The rain is also an endless topic of art: Rain in poetry, rain on music, rain in paintings… The rain is also vague memories of love.…”
The rainy season in Hue starts from about September until Tet (normally in February). There are various types of rain in Hue. Pouring rain, persistent rain, drizzle, white washing rain, soil rotten rain… Sometimes the rain falls gently, so people often call it “raindrops” (like drops of nostalgia, drops of affection for Hue) rather than “rain”. Sometimes it rains heavily for a whole month without giving place for the sun. According to statistics, Hue is the region with the highest annual rainfall and the highest humidity in the country. The number of rainy days is also the longest (200-220 days/year). Therefore, in Hue, rain is considered an immutable natural attribute, which people have accepted for many generations.
Gradually, Hue rain has become a part of Hue’s soul.
Slow travel to see Hue in the Rain – a unique specialty
“The sun burns, the rain innodates, that’s Hue”.
Buu Y – the erudite Hue scholar shared his thought about rain in his beloved land. The life of Hue people is closely attached with rain all year round. It becomes so familiar that Hue citizen regard the rain as an indispensable part.
In addition to famous specialties such as Hue beef noodle soup, mussel mixed rice, rectangular steamed cake, fermented shrimp paste, shrim paste, sesame candy, Hue people also consider rain as their own “specialty”. “Sun and rain is a nature of God”, and it cannot be changed, then the Hue people change their perception of rain. Then Hue rain will no longer be cold, depressing anymore, but turn out to be poetic, romantic.
No matter where Hue people go everytime they “meet” a rain, they think about the rain in Hue unintentionally. “In Hue, it rains more slowly”, “In Hue, it rains longer”…. Those are the thoughts that come to mind, but even the children of Hue do not know when the feeling of rain has penetrated their hearts.
When putting next to temples and mausoleums, rain specialty gives Hue a poetic serenity. “Rain specialty” still follow each street vendor, every cyclo driver for earning living, on every light step accross Truong Tien bridge. This is this, Hue and rain.
Why is slow travel to see Hue in the rain a unique experience?
Slow travel to see Hue in the rain
Rain in Hue is persistent and slow like the Hue characters. Hue seems to slow down to gain deeper appreciation. That’s why everyone who comes to Hue suddenly “walks lightly, speaks softly, slowly” a little more than usual, as if unconsciously.
Especially in the rain, Hue seems to be a little slower. Slow down for a longer life, for a more peaceful soul. No matter how busy life is outside, Hue still keeps a moderate and calm pace. A mindful slowness, agaist all speed makes up a special feature that can be found nowhere except Hue.
Hue always and will live with the rain. Hue rain brings many controversial feelings. Seeing Hue in the rain covered the mossy citadels and small roads, one will fall in love with this charming land even more. If you slowly blend in with daily life in the rain of Hue, you will understand more and more about Hue’s secretive, quiet, and hard-working personality. Then, you spin off more love and attachment.
Experience slow travel to see Hue in the rain
Experiencing local cultures in developing countries is the new trend of global tourism. The flow of tourists has been shifting from the Americas, Europe to Asia. When people reach a certain level of development and modernity, they tend to return to the most primitive. Go back to the old simple things to live light and refind peace of mind. And in that, slow travel in Hue will be the most suitable choice.
Is slow travel to see Hue in the rain interesting? Very interesting indeed. When you open your heart to receive, all are precious experiences.
- Hue has always been gentle and mindful. It becomes more peaceful on rainy days. Walking slowly in the rain of Hue with an umbrella in hand, you will find your soul calm and peaceful.
- Hue is small and gentle. The Perfume River flows gently and romantically in the heart of the city. Then why do we hustle with speed? Traveling slowly in Hue with the cycle of cyclo, bicycle, bring back unique feelings out-of-the-ordinary day. Quiet, very comfortable! We meander and blaze all the green lanes and secret corners. It doesn’t matter if it rains because all that we need is a stylish and neat raincoat. Then set out to explore. Cycling slowly to visit the countryside in the rain also has its very own interesting perspectives. Many groups travelling with Slow Travel Hue, ride bicycles in the rain, visit Thanh Toan tiled bridge, Kim Long and Thuy Bieu villages. Everyone is happy and excited.
- Summer rain makes the air cooler. Although the winter rain is long, it makes people feel warmer and closer when they stop and sit together Therefore, when traveling to Hue in winter or summer, rain is no longer an obstacle. Exploring Hue in the rain is a way to feel the slowness, quietness, generosity of Hue. Talking with hard-working farmers, cyclo drivers remind us of caring and sharing.
- Hue rain stimulates the inner life of people. Obviously, when outdoor fun activities are refrained by the rain, it is also time for indoor social activities to develop. Sit and drink tea or coffee while watching the rain flying by and enjoy with Kim Long candied ginger (see more Kim Long candied Ginger here: The secret to making delicious and spicy Kim Long Hue candied ginger), candied lotus seed, mung bean cake. Oh, the good old day was just like an eye blink. Sharing a pot of lotus tea in Kim Long garden house, or sipping coffee in a vintage shelter over Vong Canh hill are just a few precious moment to call. There are countless opportunities to exchange and experience together, ain’t it?
- Traveling slowly in Hue, you can’t miss the extremely delicious and rich specialties such as Hue tea, Hue beef noodle, steamed cake wrapped in banana leaves. And you probably know, Hue people like to eat spicy and hot. Because of the humid and cold climate, Hue cuisine is also diverse. Visiting Hue on rainy days, you should slow down to enjoy the famous dishes of the ancient capital. Every dish seems to become more flavourful, more delicious, more tasty. When it is raining outside, it is extremely satisfying to surround the warm kitchen and savour specialty.
Read more: Top 3 reasons explain why Hue people like eating spicy
The hustle and bustle of life continues, and somewhere in the worries of making a living, people still need a moment of silence. Slow travel in Hue responds to the thirst of tranquility and romance. Let’s travel Hue more slowly, look into Hue more deeply.
Hue in the rain is just so gentle but still calling. In the song “Hue Rain” (by Vo Ngoc Lan) there is a whispering message:
When you return to old Hue, my dear
Please pack for me a bit of rain
Hue rain, Võ Ngọc Lan
Why don’t you come visit Hue, Slow Travel Hue will wrap some rain as gift for you!
