“Hem”, the beauty of no rule

By making a Vietnam tour, what are you looking for? Of course “beautiful landscape”, “delicious cuisine”, “colorful culture”… besides all these things, this country is still a land of many surprises. It’s not about a specific place but the little secret in the middle of every city, especially a big city like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.

Unlike many western country, Vietnam traditionally don’t urge people to follow the town planning. As a matter of fact, with a view from up above if Paris looks like a huge spider web, Chicago is nothing different from a giant piece of chessboard, and Barcelona a vast maze… any city in Vietnam can be considered as… nothing but a mess. But by taking a look closer you can tell, it’s just the unconsciously combination of everything, of spider web, chessboard as well as maze with “hem”.

In no doubt, “hem” is a very new definition to the tourist. In general a narrow or extremely narrow alleyway play such a role as the road can be considered as “hem”. This little road is an exotic feature of Vietnam. If you eager to make an interesting discovery the city in an unusual way by expecting some impressive experience, you can try right away a walk in this “brain hacking” system.

It’s no exaggeration to say that life in this tangled network is a whole new world where you can’t find the hustling bustling pace of modern life. If walking on the main street unexpected punish your ears with the uncomfortable noise from the heavy traffic, the unique ambiance there will become wonderful with only the sound of peaceful life.

Thus, somehow these super-narrow alleyways become a common playground for everyone. Children playing with ball, elderly playing chess at a corner, some women chatting about family in front of someone’s gate… all become a lively picture of daily life in harmony. “Hem” are also a nice place where people share their meals or relax after a stressful working day

You will never know this free tour can turn into an extreme exploration trip. The deeper you come the more you feel interesting this hidden “kingdom”. Friendly people, intriguing architecture… and surprisingly delicious food are waiting for you to discover. Anything there can teach you about the authentic way of living of Vietnamese people.

Furthermore, “hem” is interestingly a place where many beautiful things are hiding. It’s can be an ancient pagodas covered by a sacred ambiance, a tranquil and lovely coffee shop or even a street food paradise. You can find many simple food stalls which not only make the narrow place fragrant with the attractive of their homemade recipe but also bring a unique beauty of street food culture.

Sometimes, you can find a very classic one with the old wall covered with green moss, sometimes a very colorful one decorated with the many different shade of color of the balcony or a modern one hiding a lot of beautiful villas and sometime a combination of all. Whatever, every single appearance has a different charm that unconsciously become the soul of “hem”.

“Hem” is just like that, not really special but surprisingly interesting and beautiful. In no doubt, a discovery of the authentic local life style for yourself around these narrow alleyways will be a highlight in your Vietnam tours. And you never know how much they can give you, not only the unforgettable experiences but something more, a precious message about life.

“Be grateful, slow down, and enjoy life…”