Foreign tourists discover Hue by taking a cyclo tour.    Approaching the Thuong Tu city gate.  Cyclos are seen amid crowded traffic on the Phu Xuan Bridge.  Cyclos help to enhance the charming of the Ao dai models and beautify the street festival. Visitors toHue, the old imperial capital of Vietnam, would love to take a cyclo when taking a tour around this city. Besides enjoying its historical and cultural old relics, visitors will experience unforgettable moments brought in by this special means of transport. Being the imperial capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945 and having been recognized by UNESCO as a world’s culture heritage since 1993, Hue is widely known by both domestic and foreign tourists for its historical and cultural relics, including the old temples. When touring around the city, besides taking a bus or just walking on foot, tourists can take a cyclo, which brings them a special feeling. Sitting in a cyclo, they will have a feeling of being totally relaxed while enjoying the views around and at the same time having a thought that they are such very special people living in this once imperial, melancholic capital of Vietnam. The cyclo made in Hue is somewhat different from those made in other parts of the country. Generally looking, the cyclo is not colourfully decorated. Its frame is not too high that may be easily turned down, or not too low that may prevent the sitter from enjoying the views around. The sitting space is also not too large that may make a couple of lovers feel a bit separated from each other, or too narrow that may make two strange passengers feel hesitate when sitting together. The cyclo drives passengers smoothly along avenues shaded with trees. Along the way, they will see the beautiful scenery, temples, quiet gardens, the romantic Huong (Perfume) River, etc., unfolding before them. Touring the city by the cyclo, the passengers, who are both familiar and strange to this city, may have the same feeling, i.e. they are quite comfortable on the way home after a long time of living far from it. Taking a cyclo in Winter is another interesting experience. In a cool weather with drizzling rain, the driver will protect his passengers from cold and rain by covering the cyclo with a canvas top. But some passengers may want to sit on the open cyclo during which they can enjoy the cool drizzling rain touching their faces… There are almost 5,000 cyclos in Hue , which are operated under the local cyclo association. The drivers are not talkative while driving, yet all they are hard working and fluent in knowing the city’s history. Some drivers were once teachers or state employees who can speak foreign languages, including French and English, so they become excellent tour guides for the tourists. Old stories of the imperial city, including that about life of the royal families and mandarins, even those listed as “top secrets”, are recalled by the drivers on their touring trip. Recently the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) decided to support the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department of Thua Thien-Hue Province in re-organizing the cyclo tourist operation in the form of community tourism, making it one of the tourist products unique of Hue. This kind of contribution is good news for the local cyclo drivers who are contributing to attracting more visitors to the imperial city of Hue. Story by Thanh Hoa - Photos by Dinh Cong Hoan