Over the past 2 decades, Huynh Van An has woken up up early in the morning to ride a cyclo from his home in Phu Binh ward to the Imperial Citadel to serve tourists.
An said he has taken tourists to all palaces, historical sites, and scenic spots in Hue city. Like other cyclo riders, he has improved his etiquette and knowledge to introduce tourists to the local culture and life.
An said both Vietnamese and foreign tourists prefer cyclo tours to view the ancient citadel, palaces, Hue river, Ngu mountain, and life on streets. “To attract tourists to Hue, cyclo riders should have polite and hospitable manners. The cyclo riders should also have good knowledge in order to introduce tourists to historical sites and culture. It’s part of our work.”
The Lunar New Year celebration is often the busiest time of the year in Hue. Cyclo riders have to work at their full capacity to serve tourists.
Cyclo tours around Hue ancient city
Nguyen Tan Xuyen, Chairman of Hue’s Cyclo Tourism Association, said cyclo trade unions have organized training courses on cultural behaviors for their members. “We have tried to create a good image of cyclo riders and trained them on polite behaviors to satisfy travelers.”
Hue city has 5 cyclo trade unions. The Tourism Cyclo Trade Union is the biggest with 250 members. At a recent meeting with local cyclo riders, Phan Ngoc Tho, Chairman of Thua Thien Hue provincial People’s Committee, encouraged them to join the Tourism Cyclo Trade Union in order to have their rights and interests protected and gain support for their work. Mr. Tho said the province is building a project on Hue’s cyclo culture.
A foreign tourist tries to ride a cyclo.
Members of the Tourism Cyclo Trade Union will be trained on foreign languages and etiquette to build a trademark of friendly, hospitable, professional and reliable Hue cyclo services.
“We want to make cyclo riding a a strong industry and cyclo riders to be tourist guides to introduce tourists around Hue city,” Tho said.
Green and purple cyclos running slowly on tree-lined help to underscore make the unique beauty of Hue city.
