Young people taking photos at a newly opened coffee shop on Phan Chu Trinh street, Hue City
We went there. That was a newly opened Korean-style cafe on the South bank of the Perfume River. The coffee shop is rustic, lovely and designed to be close to young people. Located in an unfavorable location and not running massive ads, this coffee shop is only known by "followers" specializing in coffee shop hunting.
It was only 8 o'clock but that day was quite hot. Many young people came there early, making the inside fully filled. By the eaves, I noticed there were 7 to 8 beautiful girls lining up.
‘If customers wanted to order drinks, they had to go inside the counter, didn’t they?’ I wonder. But no. Those young ladies were wearing elegant dresses; while these hands covered the faces to prevent from the sun, the other hands wiping the sweat from their faces, touching up the makeup smudged because of the heat; they stood on their high heels and lined up for having their photo with a beautiful view.
There were unsatisfied and somewhat annoyed eyes when a couple of friends taking photos for too long without noticing the people behind were waiting. A girl around 16 to 17 years old posed very professionally, standing with arms akimbo, looking far away, dreaming. Her expressions from cheerful to cool seems to be very dedicated to the "photo set". Unfortunately, when reviewing the results on the phone, the girl sighed in displeasure because her friend had not taken the photos as she desired.
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Checking-in at the café
Having a hobby of travelling around the city, I have been to many beautiful cafes in Hue, which are either classic or modern. But the scene of queueing up for "virtual life" was my first witness; it surprised me and it was quite funny.
Life is now enough in terms of material comfort and other living needs, so self-expression is more important appreciated. And, one way that not a small number of young people choose to do is put their glittering and perfect images on social networks.
During the subsidy period, according to the parents, people had to carry stamps with them and waited in long lines to buy necessities at commercial stores. Last flood, when the water receded, people lined up to withdraw money at the ATMs. Or teenage girls lined up to order drinks at a franchised coffee shop from a cult F&B (food and beverage) brand. The demand for "virtual life photography" now is no different from food and water for young people.
However, it is worth mentioning the awareness of young people when they voluntarily queued up and waited for their turn. Perhaps in an elegant space like that of a coffee shop, they naturally shaped their behaviors.
The criteria of beauty in the cafes for young people in Hue are sometimes placed first. The owners have to constantly renovate and upgrade the space if they do not want to fall into the scene of early closing down.
Following the general trend, a number of "hybrid" coffee models appeared in Hue, which were studios combining cafes such as Tymothi on Chi Lang Street. The homestays with a spacious, airy, and natural view also combine with selling coffee like Village in Da Le village, Na on Nguyen Luong Bang street, Mo Ri on Luong Nhu Hoc street, etc.
Beautiful space and delicious drinks are the choice of many young people when coming to the café
In the ancient capital city, there are some streets with nearly a dozen cafes, denser than a famous city like Ho Chi Minh City. There are famous coffee streets such as Nguyen Hue, Pham Ngu Lao, Huynh Thuc Khang, and so on. Many coffee shops have a majestic position but cannot last long, but some shops that look quite normal yet still maintain a stable number of customers due to their skillfulness.
The slow lifestyle in Hue is a good condition for the development of the F&B industry. In the morning, the old guys drink coffee to discuss the political talk. In the evening, the young people ask each other out to take photos for virtual life.
Some people choose to "go" to the café to drink coffee to enjoy its taste, some "sit" in a café to enjoy the space, and have a chat with friends; young people "take" coffee to get beautiful photos.
Story: Le Thuc Dan – Photos: Huu Phuc