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Life in Vung Vieng Fishing Village - Halong Bay

Life in Vung Vieng Fishing Village - Halong Bay

Vung Vieng fishing village is located in the northeast of Ha Long Bay and is home to more than 62 households. Vung Vieng has dramatically changed compared to previous years due to support policies and local government aid. People’s living conditions have improved through tourism and Vung Vieng promises to become one of the bay’s most popular tourist destinations.

Official Tran Hung Viet from the Marine Cultural Preservation Center of the Management Board of Ha Long Bay talked about Vung Vieng fishing village with attraction and unique buildings, especially houseboat communities next to primary school. According to the guidance of Vu Van Nam from the fishing village, all pictures displayed in houseboat communities are painted by Vung Vieng's children and these pictures will be sold to create additional fund in order to purchase books and learning tools for the children.

Vung Vieng fishing village established the Van Chai-Ha Long Rowing Boat Cooperative with about 30 boats in order to participate in the transport of tourists to visit surrounding bays. All boats are equipped with trash bins and racquets to protect the environment of the Bay. The transport of tourists has brought income from VND2-3 million for each person per month. Stabilizing their lives, reducing the rate of exploitation of fishery resources in the Bay as well as the widespread seafood feeding are the right direction of local government to create sustainable livelihoods for people in the Bay.

The most elderly resident Do Thi Ty from Vung Vieng fishing village said that: "Many generations live by the fishing in the Bay. All people lived on a small boat and were illiterate. However, when supporting policies have taken effect, people's living has become better and children can go to school."

According to Management Board of Ha Long Bay deputy manager Nguyen Cong Thai, from Vung Vieng fishing village's tourism model, rowing boat model to take tourists to visit surrounding bays appeared in Cong Dam village. However, in addition to create sustainable livelihoods for local people, with the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Management Board has adopted plan focusing on constructing the resource circulatory system.

There have been a lot of changes in village due to tourism. Local people have raised awareness on the environmental protection. In addition to the propagation of local government and the support of international organizations, people have self-conscious to protect the environment by not discharging trash into the sea and waste treatment. Each person is not only an effective communicator but also an employee directly involved in the process of environmental protection.

French tourist Ghizzo Thastine Efrem in a conversation with reporter said that Vung Vieng fishing village is located in a beautiful island, the environment is clean and local people are friendly. Vung Vieng has gradually accessed to a professional tourism and taken full advantage of their strengths. These interesting things will attract tourists and make them come back here in the near future.

In fact, tours to visit the fishing village on the Bay are increasingly attracted many tourists. The unique feature of its tourism product is tourism activities involved in cultural conservation. This is an effective method to diversify tourism products.

Vung Vieng's tourism model has opened a method to explore sustainable and potential tourism of Ha Long Bay. In addition, this trend has also brought the new face for the fishing village as well as local people.
Source: VEN