Having gone through many historical events and cultural interactions for thousands of years, Vietnam has become a rich traditional land strip which spreads along the South China sea coast. Notably, since 16th century the reclamation in Central Vietnam had started which create a rich agricultural and fishery area like today. Many things were also invented during this period in order to adapt to the natural conditions in Central Vietnam. The basket boat is one of the most special innovations still in widespread use today.
Basket boats are present all over the Central waters because they have the advantage of being light, and being able to surf on waves. Legend has it that when the Vietnamese people reclaimed the central region. They encountered many narrow seas with huge waves making it difficult for big boats to pass through. For that reason, small and light basket boats were invented from the idea of baskets serving in agricultural production.
How the basket boat is made?
To make large baskets, we not only need good bamboo but also strong and skillful workers. Firstly, the bamboo needs to be cut into long laths. Next it needs to be dried and knitted into a large sheet. The most difficult step is to create a basket shape for a boat because the bamboo is very hard. Finally, the bamboo is covered with the “Chai” oil and asphalt before being left to dry. The basket boat is used for many purposes depending on the area depending on the area they are being used. Some of these squid fishing, oyster catching, fishing or simply a means of supplies for fishing boats before going away.
The Cam Thanh fishing village
Visitors to Vietnam today can easily see basket boats throughout the central coasts. They always evoke curiosity and interest with international travelers. Many fishing villages therefore have welcomed people to visit and the most prominent is the Cam Thanh fishing village. Located 4km from Hoi An to the east, the whole village is covered by hundreds of hectares of water coconuts creating a peaceful and poetic scenery. Coming to Cam Thanh, we will see first-hand the fishermen’s life on basket boats. Having used the basket boats for many generations, these fishermen are really artists rather than mere fishermen.
Fishing in Cam Thanh village (Photo: Our Instagram )
Vietnam’s economy has been changing dramatically in recent years and as a result people’s lives have changed as well. However the basket boat is still widely used, not merely because of their economic value to the country but it represents the deep spiritual life of Central Vietnamese fishermen.
(Justin Ngoc Pham)
