Down the Tam Giang lagoon

The three rivers O Lau, Bo, and Huong join together into a vast brackish water area of ​​about 22,000 hectares, which is Tam Giang lagoon. From March to August every year, are the best days to plan a cruise on this most famous lagoon in Hue.

As the largest lagoon in Southeast Asia, Tam Giang lagoon (Thua Thien Hue province) is currently the "mother's milk" that nourishes nearly 100,000 residents in the surrounding area who work as fishermen. From a dangerous area that caused fear with: "Fear of Truong Nha Ho, fear of Tam Giang lagoon", but now, that land has undergone many changes, clearly described in the Thua Thien Hue Geographical Chronicle as "... one of the few territories of our country with diverse, unique, attractive and poetic natural and artificial landscapes..."

When sailing on Tam Giang Lagoon, it is not difficult to meet the watermen, also known as the boatmen, on their trips back and forth to earn a living. They are the ones who follow the fish, because they are fishermen, so wherever there are fish, they sail their boats. The watermen are partly pre-settlers, indigenous people, partly migrants from other places, with all kinds of components. Going back in history, before Tu Duc's reign (1829-1883), the watermen in Tam Giang Lagoon had a part that was not respected and recognized by society.

Until there was a character named Hoang Huu Thuong (1837 - 1888) - a water-based person, who was educated, later became talented, passed the doctorate, held the positions of Minister of Public Works, Minister of Military, also because he was born into a fishing family, understood the life of water-based people, so he asked the court to assign water-based people to a commune, called Vong Nhi commune, including 13 villages on the water surface of Tam Giang lagoon. Since then, the community of villages on the water surface, recognized by society, their lives created a vivid picture of the lagoon area to this day.

Traveling to the lagoon now, you should start your journey early to catch the dawn, when the red fireball appears on the horizon, which is also the time when the boats of the hydroelectric residents return to the wharf in Ngu My Thanh village, Quang Dien, after a night of fishing. The products are brought back to be sold at the bustling fish market. This place still retains its original features as they have not changed over the years. Shrimp, crab, goby, carp... are all specialties of Tam Giang lagoon, and from that early market session, they will spread to the residents around the area.

Heritage Magazine