Making a living on top of a coconut tree.

Attaching his climbing tools to the coconut tree trunk, slinging a rope over his shoulder, and holding a machete, Mr. Dung nimbly climbed the towering coconut tree. Nearly 60 years old, he appeared strong and robust, each movement swift and decisive. Just as he reached the top, a gust of wind swept from the river into the garden, causing the coconut tree to sway and dance. The wind seemed unaffected by his demeanor, yet it sent shivers down the spines of those watching.

In the golden sunlight that streamed down the trees, the black shirt he was wearing seemed to disappear into the green of the leaves. After turning around atop the tree for a while, he tied a bunch of coconuts to a rope and slowly lowered them to the ground. Mrs. Vo Thi Viet (from Huong Tho commune, Hue City), the owner of the coconut garden, was sitting on her porch. She hurriedly ran out to untie the rope, then quickly stepped back inside, afraid the coconuts would fall on her.

Mrs. Viet has a row of five coconut trees in front of her house. Every time the coconuts are ready for harvest, she eagerly awaits Mr. Dung's arrival in the village. The coconut trees in front of her house are over 30 years old. When the trees were short, she used bamboo poles to harvest them. As time passed, the trees grew taller, and she could only wait for Mr. Dung to come and harvest them. When Mr. Dung didn't visit the village, she had to let the coconuts dry out and fall, which was very dangerous. It wasn't just Mrs. Viet; almost all the coconut gardens, like Mrs. Minh's and Mr. Dang's, eagerly awaited Mr. Dung's arrival for the harvest.

Mr. Dung said that his coconut harvesting area stretches from Huong Tho, Binh Thanh, and Binh Dien communes all the way to A Luoi. After harvesting the coconuts, he simply transports them to nearby markets or beverage stalls in the area for sale. Mr. Dung doesn't remember exactly when he started harvesting coconuts, but it's probably been more than 25 years. From the time when the coconut trees in the villages he harvests were still short, they are now towering 15-20 meters high.

Mr. Dung and his wife are farmers, so coconut harvesting isn't their main source of income, but it helps them make ends meet and support their children. He recounts that the golden age of coconut harvesting was the 1990s. Back then, dragon boats were constantly bringing tourists to visit the Gia Long and Minh Mang tombs in his hometown. The shops were always bustling with customers, and coconut water was always a popular choice.

According to Mr. Dung, the job of harvesting coconuts involves climbing high up in trees all day, so few people do it. Only those with strong physical stamina and no fear of heights can pursue it. Making a living high up in the trees is arduous and dangerous, so it's difficult to stick with the job if you don't love it. For many years, Mr. Dung has worked as a tree climber, harvesting betel nuts and coconuts, and sometimes even climbing the tops of teak and rosewood trees to prune branches for hire. He's had several accidents, nearly losing his life from falling, but he always recovered and went back to harvesting coconuts wherever he could find them.

Along with climbing coconut trees to harvest them, Mr. Dung always takes on the job of weeding the coconut groves for the homeowner. He says that the coconut trees must be cleared of weeds, husks, and broken branches to leave the tops bare, so that the next harvest will yield more fruit. The homeowner usually prepares cans of coarse salt wrapped in cloth for him to place on the tops of the coconut trees to treat fungi and harmful insects. "If I weed the coconut trees thoroughly, the next harvest will yield more fruit, the owner benefits, and I also increase my income," Mr. Dung said with a bright smile, sweat dripping down his face as he climbed down from a tree, preparing to load the coconuts onto a truck to deliver to the restaurant.

For each coconut he picks, Mr. Dung pays the orchard owner 7,000 dong. He then resells it to the shop for 10,000 dong. On some days, by diligently climbing the trees, he can earn millions of dong.

Now that his children are grown and life is more stable than before, the job of climbing coconut trees seems ingrained in him. Despite his children's repeated attempts to dissuade him, Mr. Dung refuses to give up the profession. He says that one day, when his hands are no longer strong enough to grip the trees and his legs are no longer steady enough to climb them, he will abandon the work that has been his life for half a lifetime. But for now, as long as he has the strength, he will continue to do it. Because sometimes, labor isn't just about money or making a living, but also about finding joy in life.

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