The Basket boats of Ngan Ha Vietnam
Have you ever seen boats made of baskets? It may sound silly, but it is real in Vietnam. There are boats made of baskets along the coast of Vietnam. This is the idea behind the story.
If you are lucky enough to visit the village of Ngan Ha located in Vietnams South Central Khan Hoa Province, you may see large dome shapes dotting the seashore. At first glance they appear to be gigantic turtle shells, a closer inspection though will reveal that the turtle shells are actually enormous woven baskets. What could a person do with such an enormous basin, the answer use it as a boat. These basket boats or Thuyen Thung found in villages along the coast of Vietnam.
The historical origin of Vietnamese basket boats is interesting and unique, as the boats themselves. It provides an interesting example not just of ingenuity but also of tax evasion. When the French ruled Vietnam in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries they taxed many items including boats. This could have proved devastating for the villages such as Ngan ha where fishing was the main way to earn a living. To avoid paying tax the clever Vietnamese designed a new style of boats. The boat was described as a basket, so no tax was payable, and the people of Ngan ha and other coastal villages continued to fish tax free.
The boats are made from thin strips of sun-dried bamboo. These strips are then woven into the traditional basin shape, it is then coated with many layers of chai to waterproof the boat. Repairing the boats is quiet straight forward just daub on some more chai.
Controlling a Thuyen Thung in water can be challenging for the unpredicting and a comedy show for those watching. It takes a little while to learn how to paddle the baskets without spinning in circles. The villagers however learn to control these unique boats. From early age basket boats were a practical solution to a threat to the livelihood of the people in coastal villages. These boats are now an attraction for the tourists coming to see these coastal villages and experience the adventure of taking them for a spin.
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Dear Kritarh, As usual you have written a very interesting blog. I had never heard of these basket boats earlier and your blog did tell me something new and interesting. What an ingenious way of saving the tax ! Thanks for writing such an informative blog. Love you and write more frequently. Waiting for your next blog. Love you and best wishes.
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog post! I loved how you took us on a journey to Vietnam and shared the clever trick they used to dodge taxes. How cool is that? And it's not just about history, you also made me chuckle imagining tourists spinning around in those basket boats.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that these boats are also called "Coracles"? In fact, this design has been used in many other parts of the world, like in Wales and India, for centuries!
You've got a knack for storytelling, keep it up! Can't wait to see where your next story takes us.
Also, speaking of boats, I think you will enjoy this video. The Titanic has been photographed in incredible detail digitally - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2XtefrMNhg
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