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The story of the 'sunshine thieves'

Thanh Phuc • July 1, 2025 14:55

This year’s salt production season of Nghe An salt farmers took place in extremely harsh weather conditions. Sunny in the morning, rainy in the afternoon, the salt drying time was shortened, and output decreased. To make salt grains, salt farmers had to take advantage of the “sunshine” to race against the weather...

bna_1(1).jpg — Early in the morning, salt workers were already present at the salt fields. They had to start work early because the weather in recent days often rained in the afternoon. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan - Director of the Salt Company in Quynh Mai Ward (old Hoang Mai Town) said: "This year it rained a lot, the output decreased, but the workers still had to work hard to 'steal the sun' to keep their jobs". Photo: TP

The salt production process begins with pumping seawater into large tanks. This is the foundation step to create a high salinity, preparing for the salt drying stage. Photo: TP

Seawater is pushed evenly into the cells, large drying tanks spread out under the sunlight. Each drop of water is an expectation for the salt grains that are about to form. Photo: TP

Quickly stirring the water surface in the field to maintain a uniform salinity and help the salt crystallize better, Ms. Trinh Thi Xuan, a salt worker, said: "We have to stir continuously, if it rains suddenly, everything will be ruined. The work is very hard, but we do not give up the job." Photo: TP

Hour by hour, the water in the cells gradually becomes thicker. That is the first sign of success, the salt crystals will begin to crystallize. Photo: TP

White salt grains are starting to appear. This is the result of a whole day of “sunshine stealing”. Photo: TP

bna_toi(1).jpg — Salt after crystallization is carefully collected by salt workers. This is the reward for hours of hard work, racing against the weather. Photo: TP

Once collected, the salt is transported by wheelbarrow to the warehouse to prepare for packaging, preservation and sale. Photo: TP

The warehouse is full of pure white salt, ready to supply to the market. Mr. Tuan said: "The full salt warehouse proves the perseverance of salt farmers, despite the unfavorable weather this year." Photo: TP

Amidst the harsh sunlight or sudden rain, there are optimistic smiles of people who have been attached to the traditional profession for generations. The story of salt workers “stealing the sun” is not only about their efforts to produce in unfavorable weather, but also about their love for the profession and their attachment to the salt of their homeland… Photo: TP

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