Photos causing a 'fever' in the coconut land of Vinh Long

The photo series about Ben Tre is the way photographer Nguyen Khanh Vu Khoa tells the story of his travel to the West. For 2 days, he traveled around the villages, capturing every peaceful moment.

Two days exploring the land of coconuts.

In late June, on his way back to Ho Chi Minh City after a business trip, photographer Nguyen Khanh Vu Khoa decided to stop in Vinh Long (formerly part of Ben Tre province) to explore. Formed from Minh, Bao, and An Hoa islets, this area is known as the land of coconuts, boasting the largest coconut plantations in the country. Every morning, boats glide across the Thom River to the floating market. At noon, as the sun rises, the shadows of coconut trees stretch across the mangrove forests, and children swim in the muddy, silt-laden river. During his two days there, the photographer explored every small road to capture everyday moments. "The people of the Mekong Delta always have smiles on their faces; their hospitality is unparalleled. Life is quiet but steady. The most impressive thing is the view from above, hundreds of hectares of coconut trees covering the entire area. That's an image hard to find anywhere else," he expressed.

People cling to the land and make a living from it.

For the people here, from their ancestors to their descendants, their livelihoods depend on coconut plantations. Every morning at dawn, the sound of motorboats carrying coconuts to the collection point fills the river. Sun-tanned men, with heavy baskets of coconuts on their shoulders, transport them to the processing plant to separate the flesh from the shells. In another plant, the coconut shells are further processed into fibers, cleaned, dried, and used to make ropes, mats, or carved leaves for export handicrafts. Besides coconut processing, the locals also buy straw from other provinces in the Mekong Delta such as An Giang , Dong Thap, and Ca Mau... to feed their livestock. At noon, boats carrying straw dock at Ba Tri market, and people busily transport bales of straw home. "These seemingly simple jobs have sustained so many generations. I respect these hardworking, gentle people who cling to the land, the river, and live in harmony with nature," the photographer shared.

In the first six months of 2025, Vinh Long (formerly part of Ben Tre province) welcomed nearly 1.6 million visitors, including over 542,000 international tourists, generating more than 2 trillion VND in revenue. The province is also stepping up its promotional efforts and launching new products, aiming to develop tourism into a key industry by 2030.

znews.vn

Source: https://lifestyle.znews.vn/anh-gay-sot-o-xu-dua-vinh-long-post1568625.html