As tourists to Ha Long Bay, visiting the floating village of Vung Vieng was really about supporting the people living here. This village is the largest of several small communities, its population numbering approximately 200, consisting of fifty families. These families, men and women alike, earn their living by fishing, often going out during the night and returning early in the morning. They had formerly lived on sampans, earning money by fishing and selling their catch to the markets in Halong City. The Vietnamese government has supported these villagers by helping them create houses on floats, which they build themselves with materials brought from the mainland. By visiting this village, we could support the tiny two-room school, which we visited. Henry and I bought a small bowl of fish for a tiny sum of money, perhaps 20,000 dong, a little more than one US dollar. It was fun tossing these minnows into the fisheries, seeing the waters come to life with the flipping tails of the fish. There was also the opportunity to buy pearls and jewelry crafted by the villagers. We saw a netted pond containing a poisonous lion fish and a small shark, which were an attraction in the village. We really enjoyed being rowed about in the rectangular craft woven by pretty young village women dressed in taupe silk charmeuse jackets and Vietnamese hats. Scattering small money about improved the lives of everyone we met, a small price and  a nice thing to do for the rural people of Vietnam.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Boats gathered around the reception pavilion at the entrance to the floating village in Ha Long Bay. 2. A woman with her children. She sits in a hammock with her baby. Her daughter leans against the railing as we pass in the small rowboat. 3. A float in the foreground. This could be used as either the foundation for a floating house; or, it could be netted to be used as a fish farm. 4. Vung Vieng Village in Ha Long Bay. Center,Top: Fellow passengers being rowed around the “neighborhood” karsts. Center, Bottom: The sunny classroom welcoming us with a message on the blackboard. Right Column: . 1. The rower who took us around the floating village 2. A village house with decorative awning and television antenna. 3. Henry & Jourdan sitting in the bow of the basket boat near Vung Vieng Village. 4. A little girl, playing with some of the new school supplies. Our dollars spent on feeding the fish helped purchase things like these. The teachers are volunteers who are from the mainland and live here temporarily during the school year.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                        BACK TO MAP  PAGE