Vietnam Colors of life4

1. Colors of life

4. The basket boats that dot the waters from the southern coast all the way up to Danang have become iconic to Vietnam. The origin of these coracles is unclear, but many believe they were born out of ingenuity during the French colonial era

6. As the story goes, when the French levied taxes on boats in Vietnam, fishermen couldn’t afford to pay them – so they designed circular woven “baskets” that just so happened to also function as boats. The basket boats quickly became popular up and down the coast thanks to both their tax-free status and their impressive engineering

9. The thung chai, or “basket boat”

10. Tam Thanh Community Art Village - the first basket boat collection in Vietnam

11. Although the round boats, known as Thuyen Thung in Vietnam, are small, they are a handy tool for fisherman who aren’t as fortunate as those with modern boats and are cheaper to run compared to boats with diesel engines. Due to the coracle causing hardly any noise and movement of the water, they become just as effective for catching fish compared to the high powered vessels.

16. Affectionately referred to as the ‘Right Arm’ of the fisherman and the ‘Child’ of the mother boats, ‘Thuyen Thung’ is an inseparable part of a fisherman’s life. It is a multi-purpose craft: used as a very effective lifeboat in case of emergency, a singular boat to catch fish close to shore and a small, lightweight means of carrying cargo and people to and from the larger boats anchored offshore.

17. Constructed by hammering strips of bamboo into place, the boat is then coated in waterproof resin made from coconut oil, tar or (increasingly) fibreglass 

18. The basket boat maintains its original design and composition today using bamboo and cow dung along with a waterproof resin from tree sap to keep it afloat. Firstly, young and flexible bamboo is dried in pieces. Then it is cut to an exact size before being woven together by hand, forming the shell of the boat. Many boat builders use cow dung or a water-resistant resin to waterproof the boat then cover it with tree sap. The boat is left in the sun to dry, adding strength. It’s then ready for action. Yes, there are variations of it in the shape of typical modern-day vessels, including the use of fibreglass. But these traditional, bouncy little round boats are still alive

20. “While the fishing industry in general in Vietnam is dominated by larger vessels that can travel further out to sea, basket boats are a very important craft for near-shore fishing and transportation”

21. Basket boats are also used to compete in contests, festivals for fishermen in the fishing village every year

25. Although the basket boat is still widely used for fishing, it is becoming increasingly known as a tourist activity to do when in Vietnam

26. Watching coral on Ly Son Island (Chu Lai)

28. Ly Son Island (Chu Lai) is a volcanic island in the East Sea, characterized by extinct craters & white coral beaches

36. Cam Thanh village has become a favorite spot for visitors thanks to its vast and beautiful water coconut palm forest. Take a Basket Boat (that you can see everywhere) in this forest is a quite magical experience