Hue, Vietnam: a Disappointment but Worth One Night

I loved Saigon but my trip to Hue, Vietnam--a city I expected to be bustling with museums and culture--turned out to be the exact opposite. I wouldn't say "Hue" is Vietnamese for "tourist trap," but one night is all you need to see all its sights. 

I'm disappointed because Hue's tombs, citadel, and natural scenery are beautiful, but the city center feels like a frat house surrounded by neglected artifacts. 

So much potential

Tomb of Khai Dinh

English translations are minimal and when they exist, fail to provide information in context. Mind you, Hue has major historical value. It was the capital of the Southern Kingdom under the Nguyen dynasty. It was part of 1968's Tet Offensive. Yet, the city emphasizes its generic bars and restaurants with bland food and cheap beer, as if there's no money to be made from tourists above the age of 26 or anyone interested in cultural tourism.

The traveler in me weeps for the lost potential but the businessman understands: you give the people what they want, and sometimes people want cheap beer and bland food. I just never thought nonprofits, universities, governments, and NGOs would allow themselves to be made irrelevant through inaction or a lack of imagination. 

Miscellany: 

1. If you're looking for a hotel, I had a great experience with Holiday Diamond Hotel. 

2. The tourism gods taunted me with these two book entries I randomly found at Cafe Sach Huong Tu Bi, my favorite cafe in Hue. (Second favorite? Cassette Cafe.) 

The Romance of Vietnam, by Thai Quang Trung

3. One of Hue's best sights is XQ Embroidery Museum, where paintings are done with traditional embroidery. 

No paint--just embroidery.