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 April to August every year, these 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 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 Gazetteer as “… one of the few territories of our country with diverse, unique, attractive and poetic natural and man-made landscapes…”

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 follow the fishing profession, so wherever there are fish, they sail their boats.

The water-dwelling people are partly pre-settled, indigenous residents, partly migrants from other places, with all kinds of components. Going back in history, before the reign of Tu Duc (1829-1883), the water-dwelling people 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-faring person, who was educated, later became talented, passed the doctorate, and held the positions of Minister of Public Works, Minister of Military Affairs, and because he was born into a fishing family and understood the life of water-faring people, he asked the court to assign water-faring people to a commune, called Vong Nhi commune, which included 13 villages on the water surface of Tam Giang lagoon.

Since then, the village community on the water, recognized by society, their lives have 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 dock 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 it has not changed over the years. Shrimp, crab, goby, carp... are all specialties of Tam Giang lagoon, and from that early market, they will spread to the residents around the area.

Heritage Magazine

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