Beloved Vung Vieng fishing village

Despite lacking ancient banyan trees, riverside docks, and village communal houses, Vung Vieng fishing village (Bai Tu Long Bay, Quang Ninh province) still retains the characteristics of a typical Vietnamese countryside village: simple, peaceful, and with unique cultural features.

The fishing village of Vung Vieng (or Vong Vieng) was originally just a mooring place for fishermen to rest and take shelter from storms. Gradually, people settled there, and in the 19th century, this fertile land became a village on the sea. Although it retains the characteristic features of a fishing village, Vung Vieng has a village gate like many other Vietnamese villages. The Vung Vieng village gate is a giant stone arch, separating the interior of the village from the bay outside. Although there are no surrounding walls or moats to define the village boundaries like on the mainland, there are many ways to enter Vung Vieng, but the village gate is the closest route to the sea.

On a scorching summer day, the undulating shadows of the large and small islands in the bay offer some shade, but the coolest and most airy place is the village gate. Under the archway of the village gate, the elderly and children of the village often gather. Even after 10 years on land, Mr. Vu Van Nam can't forget the 12 years he lived in the village, telling us that those were the happiest days of his life. Although life was harder than on the mainland, the fishermen were very united and loving towards each other.

Tourists travel to visit Vung Vieng village by bamboo boat. Photo: HUNG SON

House after house, they supported each other through thick and thin. At the age of 10, he moved to a fishing village to live with his parents. The children of the fishermen were very skilled divers. Back then, he often played with his friends at the village gate. Sometimes, when it was too hot at home, he would go to the village gate, hang up his hammock, and sleep soundly. Now, even though he has a house on the mainland and his wife and children mainly live on the shore, he still lives half on the mainland and half in Vung Vieng. He remembers the seasons when the swallows nested, and the village gate was also a place where the birds flocked, yearning and longing.

Out at sea, amidst the bustling activity of large ships, and beyond the village gate, lies a peaceful, simple fishing village, surrounded by undulating mountains. The characteristic floating houses serve as both homes and places for the villagers to cultivate and raise aquatic products. The "village square" of Vung Vieng is the largest floating house in the village, where many rafts are connected and affectionately called the "community raft." The community raft is where the villagers gather for communal activities. There, the fishermen organize cultural and artistic events, festivals, village parties, and educational activities. The traditional culture of the fishing village is preserved as a heritage to showcase to tourists . The "village square" is also where the villagers introduce these unique cultural features to visitors.

According to the villagers, the highest mountain in the bay was the village's main peak. In the old days, the villagers climbed it to get a panoramic view of the bay or to gaze towards the mainland. During times of illness or storms, the mainland seemed like a distant dream. But today, a boat trip from the village to the mainland only takes 15 minutes. At the foot of the main peak is now a boat dock serving tourists. From the dock to the village, fishing rafts strung with various fish species—grouper, snapper, sea bass, sea bream, and more—contribute to the income of the fishing village's inhabitants.

Here, there is also a company that cultivates and showcases Quang Ninh sea pearls to domestic and international tourists. Visitors to Vung Vieng can travel by small boat guided by the villagers or paddle kayaks to explore the village and see the aquaculture farms. Called by many international tourists "one of the most beautiful fishing villages in the world ," Vung Vieng attracts visitors not only with its unique and fairytale-like beauty but also with its litter-free environment thanks to the villagers' awareness of preserving the landscape and practicing responsible tourism.

According to qdnd.vn

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/du-lich/than-thuong-lang-chai-vung-vieng-140004.html