Smart bicycles
As scheduled, our group of guests started experiencing the smart tour held by the Department of Tourism in coordination with Vietravel - Hue Branch, Vietsoftpro Company, Hue Viet Organic Co., Ltd and the Management Board of Ancient Village Phuoc Tich.
It took us half an hour by bus to go to Phuoc Tich from Hue. A staff of the Management Board of Ancient Village lent each of us a bicycle and an audio guide player.
Visitors to Phuoc Tich used to walk or ride bicycles after a tour guide and at a certain spot, they stopped to listen to the guide.
Visitors were sometimes left behind, missing the information, if they happened to get stuck to a beautiful, ancient scene. Sometimes visitors wanted to stay late at a spot, but they couldn’t as they had to follow the schedule of whole group.
The installation of the audio guide in the smart bicycles makes our exploratory journey of the village simple but informative. When we stopped at a site, we only chose a code on the audio guide corresponding to the code on the map. Interesting stories about the Temple of Cay Thi (Diospyros Decandra tree), the ceramic kiln, Quang Te Temple, and the House of Ho Van Te are all available on the app.
The Management Board of Ancient Village Phuoc Tich have just had QR code posts installed at the sites. If a visitor does not use the audio guide, he or she can scan the QR code with a smartphone, information about the site will be updated. It is equally convenient and useful for visitors to explore.
Visitors at the pottery village
Another surprise to us was the smart billing feature of the bicycle. An odometer has been installed in the vehicle, which allows calculating the amount we have to pay for the rent.
Visitors renting a bicycle used to pay by the hour or cover the whole journey, even if they could spend less time. With this smart vehicle, visitors will scan a QR code and use a cashless payment method.
More interestingly, the device on the bicycle is powered by solar energy via a panel installed in front of the vehicle, at the handlebar basket. This is evidence for the green environment-friendly tourism that the tourism industry is striving for.
Prior to a sightseeing tour, some tourists experience the ancient village, check in the village with the virtual reality technology. As for myself, I experience this after my sightseeing tour. The ancient village, which is shown in a general way, can be viewed from above, or vice versa. I’ve found that I have the most profound understanding of the peaceful ancient village by the O Lau river during this return visit to Phuoc Tich, although I have been there many times before.
“Phuoc Tich with a history of more than 500 years, is surrounded by the gentle O Lau river in Phong Hoa commune, Phong Dien district. This is an intact and precious village not only in the Central region but also in the whole country.” The initial introduction of the Management Board of Phuoc Tich ancient village seems to be familiar to anyone. Yet the technology-assisted tours available at Phuoc Tich now can actually bring visitors the unique experience.
Please come to Phuoc Tich if you want to have such unique experience.
Story and photos: Duc Quang