In Nghe An province, thousands of people, carrying boats and fishing gear, flocked to the Giang River in Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district, to participate in a fishing competition and the Mon Son - Luc Da festival.
From 7:00 AM on April 14th, 12 teams from 12 villages in Mon Son commune transported small wooden boats, nets, and plastic buckets to the embankment along the Giang River in Lang Xieng and Thai Son 1 villages to line up and listen to the rules of the fishing competition. More than 2,000 people, including men, women, young people, and children, also brought fishing gear to cheer them on. Motorbikes and cars lined the roads, and the air was filled with cheers, laughter, and lively conversations.
Twelve teams participated in a fishing competition on the Giang River section passing through Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district. Photo: Hung Le
The Giang River, in the section passing through Mon Son commune, is 150 meters wide and approximately 700 meters long, nestled against limestone mountain ranges. Its deepest point is 2.5 meters, and its shallowest is about half a meter. The river is home to many types of fish, such as carp, grass carp, and catfish, all with delicious meat. In 2024, the local government organized the second fishing competition as part of the Mon Son - Luc Da festival.
According to the rules, each team consists of 4 men and 3 women who are residents of the village. They must prepare 4 fishing nets, a scoop, a net, and a plastic bucket; they may also bring a basket for fish or diving goggles. The fish used to determine the results must be caught by the teams in the area of the Giang River designated by the authorities. Anyone bringing fish from outside the designated area will be considered to have broken the rules and will be disqualified immediately.
At 8:30 AM, after the organizers gave the signal over the loudspeaker, the 12 competing teams immediately rowed their boats to the middle of the Giang River, casting their nets, 3 meters wide and 2.8 meters long, into the water. After about 5-10 minutes, 2-3 members dived to the bottom to check for fish caught in the nets in order to plan their catch. In some other teams, 5-7 people stood on the boat and worked together to pull up the nets, removing the caught fish and putting them into plastic buckets.
Team members stand on their boat, casting nets into the Giang River to catch fish. Photo: Hung Le
Mr. Ha Van Mai, 56 years old, from the Tan Son team, said that a few days before the competition, he and his team members went to the lakes and dams in the area to practice casting nets. The fish in the Giang River can weigh 6-8 kg, and many types, such as black carp, weigh 15-20 kg. When a fish gets caught in the net, if the technique isn't correct, the risk of it escaping is very high, so it's necessary to discuss and coordinate smoothly during the competition.
"The number of fish this year is similar to last year, however, the number of exceptionally large ones has decreased. In the previous competition, the team caught many carp weighing 6-8 kg, but this year the biggest one was only 4 kg, and the rest ranged from 800 grams to over 2 kg," Mr. Mai said.
At 9:30 AM, the competition ended, and the teams brought their buckets of fish back to the organizing committee for weighing. The results showed that the Bac Son team won first place, catching over 17 kg of fish and receiving 400,000 VND, plus an additional 100,000 VND for catching the largest carp, weighing 4 kg. The Tan Son and Lang Yen teams caught 14-15 kg each, finishing third and second respectively, receiving 200,000-300,000 VND. The fish will be distributed among the teams for consumption.
Two women proudly show off their catch: two carp weighing over 3 kg each. Photo: Hung Le
Mr. Luong Van Hoa, Chairman of Mon Son commune, said that the monetary reward is only for encouragement, the main purpose being to raise awareness among local people and tourists participating in the Mon Son - Luc Da festival about protecting the ecological environment and aquatic resources in the area.
From 10 am to 12 pm, thousands of festival-goers were allowed to use nets, seines, and plastic buckets to catch fish in the Giang River, with each person catching an average of 1-2 kg. After 12 pm, the organizers used loudspeakers to instruct everyone to come ashore and posted signs prohibiting fishing. In the coming days, the authorities will release hundreds of kilograms of fish fry into the river and deploy security guards daily to monitor the area for the next festival season.
"The fish here are delicious. When I brought them ashore, some people immediately asked to buy them, but I didn't sell them. I brought them home, bought some pickled vegetables, cooked them up, and shared them with my family and friends. Festivals like this need to be maintained and promoted because participating strengthens community solidarity," said Mr. Vi Van Luong, 56, a resident of Mon Son commune.
The fish were divided among the teams' members to take home for food. Photo: Hung Le
The Mon Son - Luc Da Festival is held annually to commemorate the founding of the Mon Son Party branch (April 1931) - the first Party branch in southwestern Nghe An province. This year's festival, held on April 13-14, includes not only ceremonial activities but also many other events such as a market fair, fishing competitions, traditional ball throwing, and brocade weaving.
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