The Swiss tourists are invited to a meal at Hue funeral in Hue City
In the early afternoon, while helping organise his father-in-law’s funeral at his home in Vinh Loc Commune, Hue City, 50-year-old Tran Huu Cuu noticed two foreign visitors, a middle-aged couple, stopping their bicycles in front of his house.
“At first, I thought they were curious about Vietnamese funeral customs and wanted to learn more,” Cuu said. “But the wife explained that they were cycling from central Hue to a resort in Phu Loc Commune, about 20 kilometres away. They were exhausted and hungry, and had tried finding food at nearby markets and restaurants, but everything was closed.”
Unaware that the family was holding a funeral, the couple stopped to ask for directions to any place still serving food.
“That day, our family had prepared a vegetarian lunch for relatives and guests attending the funeral. We still had plenty left, so I invited them,” Cuu said. “We served them rice, stir-fried vegetables, green beans, mushrooms, sweet potato soup, and tofu. They ate everything happily and were very grateful.”
Tran Huu Cuu invites the tourists to have lunch at his home.
During the meal, Cuu learned that the couple were long-time vegetarians. “They told me it was such a surprise they had stopped by chance and were treated to a perfect vegetarian meal,” he recalled.
Cuu and his wife pose for a photo with the two tourists.
The Swiss visitors said it was their first trip to Vietnam. We've some Vietnamese friends in Switzerland who told us a lot about your country. We’ve been amazed by the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and the kindness of the people,” one of them said.
Cuu, who is both an English teacher and a licensed tour guide with 11 years of experience, also took the opportunity to explain the Buddhist funeral traditions in Hue, where ceremonies often last five to seven days and many families serve vegetarian meals.
“Because things were so busy, we didn’t even have time to exchange names but just took some photos together,” Cuu said. “They told me they were lucky to meet me, but I think I was the one who received something special that day, on the day we said goodbye to my father.”
Cuu has worked as a tour guide for 11 years.
Cuu is currently chairman of the Hue City Tour Guides Association, with 27 years of teaching English and over a decade of guiding experience.
