In the surrounding area, there are many large markets such as Vinh Tu, Do Market, Moi Market, Bien Market, Dai Luoc Market... but in the vast Quang Thai, Quang Loi, and Phong Chuong region, only Niu Market (Quang Thai) is noteworthy. Niu Market is small, with few vendors. The market is held every afternoon. You can walk through the whole market in just a few steps, but it always leaves a lasting impression. It's the most rustic of all rural markets, with a few people splitting and selling betel nuts, a few elderly women selling strings of dried Phong Lai tobacco, a few young women selling bunches of vegetables and ginger... It seems that most of the shoppers are villagers, so you rarely see anyone haggling.
But to talk about the harshness of the land on this side of Tam Giang Lagoon, one must mention the Lao wind season. While on the other side of the lagoon, no matter how strong the Lao wind and drought, there are still ponds and lakes, especially the streams from underground springs flowing along the villages, on this side, the Lao wind in Tam Giang Lagoon makes the water extremely salty, and the ponds and lakes dry up. The drought is so severe that even the puddles where buffaloes used to lie down are left with only a layer of dry mud.
There are two types of crops that are characteristic of this hot, sandy countryside. Firstly, there is the "cuong" rice – a traditional rice variety that can withstand drought and salinity. Secondly, there is tobacco, mainly grown in Phong Lai and Quang Thai villages, cultivated on sandy soil, which is also remarkably drought-resistant. Therefore, even today, "cuong" rice and tobacco are still grown by farmers along the lagoon.
I remember my first assignment in Quang Loi commune on a summer day. I was greeted by Mr. Quoc, the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune. Mr. Quoc told me that he had worked in the Central Highlands, where many people from his hometown lived, and that it was through those experiences that he became the chairman of the commune. He also recounted the story of the people of Ngu My Thanh who slept overnight in front of his house to demand that he not remove their bamboo fishing nets...
It wasn't until after the devastating storm of 1985 that they finally settled ashore. Now, in Ngu My Thanh village, part of Quang Loi commune, the people not only know how to fish and shrimp but also how to develop tourism ...
But it took them thirty years to achieve the transformation they have today. I remember in the early 2000s, we visited Ngu My Thanh village when it was still very poor. Their main occupation was fishing in the Tam Giang lagoon. Although they had built houses on land, they preferred living on boats. Some houses were drafty and open. There were also young couples who, after getting married, separated from their parents and built their homes on boats. In the evening, the freshly caught fish and shrimp were immediately boiled and served as snacks to accompany their drinks. The men drank, the women cooked rice, and breastfed their children. I asked why they didn't go up to their houses, and they explained: "They're used to living on boats; we have to gradually persuade them to change their habits. Of course, during the rainy season and storms, they have to go ashore..."
That was twenty years ago. Now, Ngu My Thanh village is a well-known community-based fishing village in the Tam Giang lagoon area. Many photographers and painters have come here to find inspiration for their work. The sunrise at the early morning market in Ngu My Thanh village on the Tam Giang lagoon, when fishermen return from their night's fishing with boats full of fresh fish and shrimp, is truly beautiful.
I remember once a friend from Quang Nam asked me to design a sunset trip to Tam Giang Lagoon for a group of artists from Quang Nam. We went to Ngu My Thanh village, then took a boat out to the middle of Tam Giang Lagoon to watch the sunset, enjoy the breeze, and savor the shrimp and fish of Tam Giang. That trip was really fun, especially listening to some poets from Quang Nam recite their poems on Tam Giang Lagoon. Personally, I had a special joy witnessing Ngu My Thanh village as clean and beautiful, its people accustomed to their new life on land and having found a new profession: tourism...
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