Nestled in the quiet coves of Halong Bay you will discover the floating villages, where the local people have lived for generations drifting on the sea. Anchored together they weather through rising tides, crashing storms, and an ever-changing world.
The people here are fishermen, and their lives are intrinsically tied to the ocean. They have built boats and floating homes that provide their shelter, their transportation, and their culture. They can tie their homes to their neighbors, or they can drift off while they hunt for fish, lobsters, shellfish, and squid. They own no land, only the boats that provide their way of life.
The simple life in Halong Bay floating villages @Andrea Schaffer
The communities that they have created are like big, close-knit families. The children are taught to swim before they walk, and even the youngest know how to cast a fishing net.
Although it is a quiet life, the people here have a certain vitality that can only come from living so close to the rolling tides. The culture is rich with music, legends, nautical superstitions, and ocean-inspired remedies. Fisherman drift across the calm waters of the bay in the early mornings, and in the afternoon they sell their catch to locals and tourists alike. If you spend a day exploring one of these villages, be sure to try the fresh seafood!
The Halong Bay area is now a UNESCO World Heritage area, and the villages are considered an irreplaceable cultural site. There are four main floating villages spread out across Halong Bay with a total of around 1000 residents. The villages are called Cua Van, Ba Hang, Vong Vieng, and Cong Tau.
Getting around in the floating villages @Andrea Schaffer
Cua Van Village and the Cultural Center
Cua Van is the largest of the Halong Bay fishing villages. It is home to over 600 people, and has developed the most vibrant community. It is considered the capital village, and here you can discover the local lifestyle, markets, and food. Many of the villagers hand-make beautiful crafts that they will sell from their boats. The people often sing folk-songs that carry across the water (called hat gheo), from love song duets, to wedding songs, and songs meant to be sung out to the fishermen on the sea.
Because of its prominence, Cua Van is also home to Vietnam’s first ever Floating Cultural Center. The center was created by the Ha Long Ecological Museum, and it is considered to be an essential step in preserving the heritage of the area.
A trip to the Cultural Center will give you a chance to see hundreds of archaeological items. There are ancient fishing tools from the fishermen that have lived in Halong Bay for centuries, as well as photographs, films, information about the natives’ lives both past and present, and stories of local folklore.
The Cultural Center is an always-expanding project that provides information to tourists and work for the locals, addresses environmental issues and encourages education within the community, and is an indispensable part of protecting the floating villages.
The Challenges of Life in the Floating Villages
Despite the simplicity of life in the Halong Bay floating villages, there are still many challenges that the locals face.
The environment is the biggest challenge to the fishermen’s lifestyle. Sea storms and rising tides can endanger their homes and they are dependent on a fish supply that has decreased in recent years. The constant flow of tourists and new industry also adds new challenges for the fishing villages.
As a visitor to Halong Bay, you can help these communities by sampling the local foods, having a fisherman take you for a ride on a sampan boat to show you the village, or taking the time to see the hand-crafted products that the villagers sell from their boats. You will leave with a unique cultural experience all while supporting the local way of life!
The people are tough, and their families have lived in the bay for generations. They change with the ocean and adapt to the tide. The Vietnamese have made great efforts to protect and preserve their unique cultural heritage, and their efforts are paying off. You will have the opportunity to see a lifestyle that has stood the test of time.
Making a home on the ocean @Andrea Schaffer
Exploring the Floating Villages
As your cruise drifts across the crystal blue waters of Halong Bay, take the opportunity to explore the floating villages.
Step on board a flat-bottomed sampan and glide around the homes as the bob across bay. Taste seafood freshly pulled from the ocean, cooked up in front of you, the smells of fresh fish, salt and spice filling the air.
Dinnertime in a floating village @Andrea Schaffer
Walk along the docks where village children laugh and dive into the ocean that is their home. Watch a lone fisherman cast his net in the summer sun. Listen to the songs and stories from the local women as they sell their wares.
If you spend a day among the people of the Halong Bay floating villages, you will step back into a simpler time, you will meet a lively people that have tied their souls to the sea, you will encounter a truly unique culture, and you will not forget the experience.
The post The Floating Villages of Halong Bay appeared first on HalongLuxuryTravel.