Bung Binh Thien during the season when the water changes color

The flood season is approaching Bung Binh Thien, the largest freshwater lake in the Mekong Delta, located on the border of An Phu district. The once clear blue water now turns a muddy color due to the silt carried in by the Binh Di (Binh Ghi) River. Every change in nature, however subtle, brings about profound changes in the lives of the people, where the water is the only thing that never stands still.

Fishing in Bung Binh Thien

On a June afternoon, before the sun had even set, a gentle breeze was already blowing across the water. Bung Binh Thien wasn't as noisy as one might imagine, nor was it overly quiet. On a small boat, Mr. Vo Van So (a resident of Dong Ky hamlet, Quoc Thai commune) chatted with me in his distinctive Southern Vietnamese accent. "This season is windy, and the water is a little murky. Once the wind dies down, the water becomes crystal clear again."

When I asked about the flood season, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan (who lives near Bridge C3) said: "This lake is clean and not polluted. Small fish like carp, tilapia, and perch thrive here."

Besides the subtle changes in the water's color, the most striking aspect of observing Bung Binh Thien is the way people live and work alongside the lake every day. The way nature changes dictates the rhythm of life and livelihood in this area.

I met Mr. Duong Van Y (a fisherman living in Bung Binh Thien hamlet), who has been dismantling fish traps for nearly 20 years. He said that this profession has been passed down from his grandfather for three generations. “We set the traps, put in bait, and prepare food to attract fish, waiting until there are many before dismantling them. Sometimes we catch a lot of small fish, and we can share a few hundred thousand dong. Other times we lose money, and each person gets very little,” he recounted.

Mr. Y's story isn't unique. Here, everyone has their seasons and their jobs, but none are stable. After clearing the weeds, some become taxi drivers, others work as laborers, construction workers, porters—they do whatever work they can find. Life around the swamp isn't affluent, but it's enough to get by if you work hard.

Bung Binh Thien, with its layers of silt silently coloring the lake's surface, isn't always dazzlingly beautiful. Its beauty doesn't lie in edited photos or promotional slogans. It's revealed in the simple words of the fishermen, in the meals of lightly seasoned braised fish on the raft, in the steady rhythm of the oars in the breezy afternoon...

A lake region, a hundred ways of life. Those who live there, rich or poor, leave a part of their lives amidst the water, silently changing color in rhythm with nature. And there, perhaps, lies the most beautiful aspect of this land—a place that needs no ostentation yet possesses the power to touch the memories of those who leave.

BICH GIANG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bung-binh-thien-mua-nuoc-chuyen-mau-a423324.html