The second of Central Vietnam’s Unesco World HeritageSites rests largely in the shade of its smaller but more dominant cousin. Hue is sometimes bypassed especially by tourists on a whistle-stop tour of the country. Whilst it may not have the quaint old world charm of its near neighbour, in the citadel and the royal tombs, Hue does have two of the country’s most impressive sites. As with most good things in life, the deeper you dig the more you find there is to discover.

Protected by 10km long, two meter thick walls and the Perume Tiver, the immensity of the citadel is impressive. In front of the walls and facing the river is a 37 meter high flagpole, the tallest in Vietnam.

Hue’s other main draw is the royal tombs that spread along the banks of the Perfume River to the south of the city. Accessile either by boat or motorbike, part of the attraction opulence, reflecting the decline of the dynasty that ruled the country from 1802 to 1945.

Thien Mu Pagoda is to the south west of the city. The original pagoda was built in 1601, although it has been rebuilt many times since. It is seen by many as the symbol of Hue

Beyond the obvious sites, the massive appeal of Hue is simply wandering around the city, crammed with interesting monuments, pagodas and old buildings, often in incongruous settings. Of particular interest are the garden houses.

Designed according to the principles of Feng Shui, the houses offer a harmony between architecture and nature. The ubiquitous expanse of water makes for a very tranquil setting. Many are open to the public on an informal basis, some even offering food or accommodation. Kim Long, the area between the citadel and Thien Mu Pagoda, is a good place for discovering garden houses, including the Temple of Princess Ngoc Son on Nguyen Chi Thanh street. Hue’s temple of Literature is also located nearby

Hue is also famous for its cuisine. Thanks to Emperor Tu Duc, Imperial Hue cuisine has a reputation for being some of the finest in the country. For those on a less than royal budget, the city also has some excellent street food including the spicy noodle soup excellent street food including the spicy noodle soup “bun bo hue” and local rice cakes, “banh beo” and “banh cuon”. One thing is for sure, you will never go hungry in Hue – neither for food nor culture

One of the largest is the state-owned Vinatex, which accounted for an estimated 22% of Vietnamese textile and garment exports in 2006. One of Vinatex’s affiliates, Viet Tien Garment Company, has invested more than US$10 mn during the past five years in order to upgrade its production lines. Most of this new equipment has been imported from Japan and Singapore.

Also, in 2006 the sector exported textiles and garments to the value of US$5.8 bn, making it Vietnam’s second largest export earner after crude oil. Buyers from a number of the world’s leading textile and apparel companies have sourced apparel from Vietnam including Express, Hucke, Itochu, JC Penney, Jupitar, Kmart, Kowa, Lee Cooper, Li & Fung, Mast Industries, Nichimen, Nissho Iwai, Otto, Sara Lee, Seidensticker, Sumitomo, Tomen, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, and Wal-Mart.

Three major developments over the past 20 years have led to the industry’s present vibrancy. One was the introduction in 1986 of the so-called Doi Moi economic reforms which—notwithstanding the government’s communist leanings—gave encouragement to the private sector and allowed market forces to determine the allocation of resources. A second was the collapse of the Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Cooperation) bloc in 1990-91 and that of the Soviet Union in 1991. These events caused initial hardship but prompted the country to forge links with the West and enter the international community. The third was the granting by the USA of normal trading relations (NTR) or most favoured nation (MFN) status in December 2001, which led to a dramatic reduction in import tariffs in the US market.

The future for the textile and garment industry in Vietnam looks promising. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at the beginning of 2007 and seems set to build upon its recent export success. Moreover, the Vietnamese government is highly supportive of the textile and garment sector, and there are strong incentives to attract foreign investment. The government has outlined ambitious plans for the industry’s development. If these plans are fulfilled, employment and exports in the sector will double by 2010.