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Economy

The story of the 'sun thieves'

Thanh Phuc • July 1, 2025 14:55

This year's salt production in Nghe An province is taking place under extremely harsh weather conditions. Sunny mornings and rainy afternoons shorten the salt drying time, resulting in reduced yields. To produce salt, salt farmers have to scramble to "steal sunshine" and race against the weather...

bna_1(1).jpg — At dawn, salt workers were already present at the salt fields. They had to start working early because the weather in recent days had often brought afternoon rain. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan - Director of the Salt Company in Quynh Mai ward (formerly part of Hoang Mai town) said: "This year, there has been a lot of rain, so production has decreased, but the workers still have to work hard to 'steal the sunshine' to keep the profession alive." Photo: TP

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

Seawater is evenly distributed into the salt pans, vast drying tanks stretching out under the sun. Each drop of water represents the hope for the formation of fine salt crystals. Photo: TP

Quickly stirring the water in the salt fields to maintain a uniform salinity and help the salt crystallize better, Ms. Trinh Thi Xuan, a salt farmer, said: "We have to stir constantly; a sudden rain will ruin everything. The work is very hard, but we won't give up the profession." (Photo: TP)

Hour by hour, the water in the cisterns gradually becomes thicker. This is the first sign of success; salt crystals will begin to form. Photo: TP

The white salt crystals are starting to become visible. This is the result of a whole day of "stealing the sun." Photo: TP

bna_toi(1).jpg — The salt, after crystallization, is carefully collected by salt farmers. 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 for packaging, storage, and sale. Photo: TP

The warehouse is filled with pure white salt, ready to be supplied to the market. Mr. Tuan said: "The full salt warehouse demonstrates the perseverance of the salt farmers, even though the weather this year has not been favorable." Photo: TP

Amidst scorching sun or sudden rain, the optimistic smiles of those dedicated to this age-old traditional craft shine brightly. The story of salt farmers "stealing the sun" is not just about production efforts in adverse weather, but also about their love for their profession and their attachment to the salt of their homeland… Photo: TP

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The story of the 'sun thieves'

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