What's happening in Hue?

Hue isn’t what you would call a “big city”; its tourism area is its ancient citadel, ravaged by the American War and slowly progressing with reconstruction. The city life seems pretty easy-going, with pushbikes making up a good majority of the traffic. The market has long been a hub of Hue activity, too (for tourists as much as locals); its narrow maze of fresh produce, clothes and all sorts of junk (and not so junk) making it as much of a challenge as it is a way of life. It was the main hub, that is, until a Big C Supercentre opened at the other end of town... And all hell seems to have broken loose.



Hue's marketplace


Hue's Supercentre


You walk into the plaza entrance and it immediately feels as though you’ve been plucked out of Vietnam and plonked into Bangkok, but it still seems reasonable enough... Go upstairs to the Big C itself and it’s another story. First off, security will chase you through the store if you haven’t seen them before entering. It’s policy to have your bag sealed in plastic before entrance; obviously no thought given to the fact many people keep their money in their bag. But hey, it’s amusing nonetheless. The crowds are like those at Myer, first thing on Boxing Day, only this is 5 o’clock in the afternoon and there are no sales (but that doesn’t mean there are no specials).



Sealed for protection (or something) - you're not allowed in with an unbagged bag


The crowds are an indication of just what this centre has brought to Hue – lower prices. There were literally swarms of people scrounging through piles of clothes. The isles were bursting at any given moment. There was a bakery upstairs that had sold out of baguettes. The crowd were wrestling one another off as they loudly waited for more bread, which was to be bought in bulk by those patient enough to wait and sold for an inflated price on the street outside (clever, but kind of annoying that they tried to mark ours up about 500%). The place was cheap, sure, but for any specials one had to face the madness; a consumer madness that seemed totally new to these Vietnamese.

Now, for the average Joe, this all seemed wonderful, but the effects of this Supercentre – all new and shiny – are seemingly yet to arise. Of course this is only an assumption, but doesn’t having a giant mall, which purchases produce in bulk (serious bulk) and undercuts the prices of everything on the street kind of drive out the local shopkeepers and vendors. And aren’t a bulk (serious bulk, yet again) percentage of Hue citizens such local merchants?

As a tourist, I’m more than happy to be ripped off a “little” (perhaps “miniscule amount” is more appropriate, remembering that 20 Aussie cents is a lot in Vietnam) buying water or beer off the street – it’s common and it’s helping the little man. But such a sentiment is hardly universal, so what happens when suddenly everything becomes so much cheaper and the “little man” can no longer compete...

And what happens to the city itself? It may be at the other end of town, but I’m sure that’s how the development of Saigon started as well (and look where that’s gone in three years). How long before the citadel’s reconstruction efforts are transferred to the consumer development of Hue as the next big city? I for one would like to see Hue guarding canons aimed at the Big C.

Food for thought, so to speak.