Recorded in Phu Lien

(Baonghean) - That is a small village leaning against Hon Kien mountain, facing east with a curved coastline shaped like a sail. I can't remember exactly how many times I've walked on the fine sandbanks, happily pressing my toes on the sandbanks that are almost submerged in water, suddenly startling a few tall crabs that run really fast, then hide in their caves to hide. It seems that that beach, that village has something that is both familiar, attractive, and makes people feel surprised every time they set foot there.

Offerings to pray for good fish at Ret temple.

By chance, I arrived at Phu Lien village - Quynh Long commune (Quynh Luu) on the occasion of the local people's fishing ceremony. From afar, in the afternoon sunlight reflected from the waves, the Rep temple seemed to move mysteriously by the layers of slanted light. Mr. Tran Van Trang squinted at the guests and then exclaimed: "Oh my god! Journalist! Are you well!? Why didn't you tell me before you came back?". I was lucky to know Mr. Tran Van Trang and his family 3 years ago. That was the time I accompanied Mr. Tran Van Thanh - Mr. Trang's son - on the fishing boat to the common fishing area in the Gulf of Tonkin. But until now, what impressed me most after that trip was not the image of the captains and crew struggling with the wind and waves, casting their nets to catch fish every night in the open sea, but the image of Mr. Tran Van Trang holding a pineapple tree and clapping it around the boat, muttering prayers for good luck before everyone left the port to go to sea. It is a ritual of fishermen before each trip. And Mr. Trang with nearly four decades of experience as captain of Phu Lien fishing cooperative has not forgotten to perform the ritual. It is a belief passed down from the previous generation.

Successful fishing season of fishermen in Quynh Long commune - Quynh Luu. Photo: Khanh Ly

"It's great that you're back on this occasion. Tomorrow our village will hold a Fishing Prayer Ceremony," Mr. Trang said while handing me a bowl of tea. At this time, there were quite a few people around Ret Temple. Tomorrow, the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, is the main ceremony, but tonight everyone came to the temple to hold the Announcement Ceremony. And on a lucky evening, I had the opportunity to exchange and talk with most of the members of the Phu Lien Village Executive Committee. Mrs. Tran Thi Dao - Secretary of the Phu Lien Village Party Cell, did not hide when she said that the lives of Phu Lien people are clearly changing. The village has 295 households with 1,433 people. Of the 695 people of working age, 275 people directly participate in seafood exploitation and fishing, accounting for 40%. However, if we include activities related to services and the marine economy, the rate is over 90%. Currently, the village has 25 fishing boats with capacity from 200 CV to 600 CV. The rate of well-off and rich households accounts for over 65%. Ms. Tran Thi Dao shared: “The life and economy of the people of Phu Lien village depend on the sea. If in 2013 the whole village only had 6 fishing boats using the form of purse seine, this year there are 13 boats. The number of 2-sao boats from 15 in 2013 is now 13. People have proactively built more modern boats with larger capacity. Larger boats can go to farther fishing grounds and fish more effectively…”.

In fact, in Phu Lien village, fishermen do not fish in the open sea. Therefore, there are no boats with a capacity of less than 90 CV. A newly built 400 CV boat costs from 4.2 to 4.5 billion VND. If including the investment in equipment and fishing gear, it is also nearly 5 billion VND. But the good news, or rather, the admirable thing is that the people of Phu Lien dare to invest to realize their desire to go offshore. Ms. Ho Thi Duc - Head of the Women's Association of Phu Lien village said: "I am worried. Every time there is a storm, women, the elderly, and children sit at home waiting for men at sea. But we have to go offshore, brother. Only big boats with big engines can we feel secure, and we can win the fishing!". When I sat listening to the head of the Women's Association of the village talk, I found that her slender figure had a strange persuasive power. I just learned that her family has been fishing for 20 years with a 45 CV pole boat. And this August, her family will welcome the ship purchased from Quang Ngai for 4.2 billion VND.

There is a rather special thing in Phu Lien village, that is, the leadership of the Party Cell, Party Cell, and Village Executive Committee is mostly held by women. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thap - Head of Phu Lien village smiled wittily: "Not a typical model, journalist! It's the reality of life. Men go to sea, women participate in social work. Honestly, men don't have much time." I secretly think that, in addition to taking care of the family and building a warm home, in many cases, women always take on social responsibilities more carefully than men. Specifically, in Phu Lien village. Party Cell Secretary - Women. Village Chief - Women. Deputy Village Secretary - Women. Secretary of the Youth Union - Women. Deputy Branch of the Veterans Association - Women... But what people see is not only the thin shoulders looking east day after day, or rushing back and forth to the market, catching grouper every time the ship docks. They are also the women of the Party Cell who have won the title of "Typical Clean and Strong" of Quynh Long commune for 4 consecutive years; are mass organizations that have been honored by the locality for many years. Even in the case of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thap - Village Chief, her family has a 600 CV seine boat with 18 regular workers on board. She said that having a boat and workers is not just to get rich to serve her family. Buying a big boat and big machine for offshore fishing is also a responsibility towards the village and the fishermen. "Every month, the boat goes to sea 2-3 times. The average income is 10 million VND/person/month, on good months it reaches over 15 million VND. But fishing at sea is not just about money. There is a very high sense of community between the boat owner and the crew. It is about sharing, sharing joys and sorrows and responsibility".

We paused our conversation when the sound of drums and gongs began. The electric lights around the Ret temple were bright. Mr. Nguyen Khac Thin - the master of ceremonies wearing red robes and two others knelt down in front of the main hall. Every time the announcer read "hung - bai", the master of ceremonies would prostrate or bow. The offerings were simple, including sticky rice, a chicken, boiled pork, sweet rice cakes, votive paper money, fruits, candies, betel and areca nuts... All were offered by the villagers. As for the ship owners and captains, this year the least contributed 300,000 VND, the most contributed 1 million VND. Thanks to this community spirit, the Fishing Prayer Ceremony in Phu Lien is maintained regularly in the 7th lunar month every year. According to Mr. Nguyen Khac Thin, the Ret temple was built nearly 300 years ago. Legend has it that in the past, there was a giant centipede living in the Hon Kien mountain cave. Every day, the "centipede" crawled out to the beach area and often "rested" right on the ground near the foot of the mountain. During the time "he" stayed here, the people of Phu Lien village went to sea to fish safely and very conveniently. And later, at the location where the centipede resided, it left a very large footprint. Therefore, the people of Phu Lien village built a temple to worship him, praying for blessings for smooth sailing, favorable winds, and catching lots of fish and shrimp. The fishing festival was formed from that. But in the late 50s and early 60s of the last century, the Centipede Temple was dismantled and destroyed to serve the cause of building a new socialist human in a historical period. By 2002, the people of Phu Lien village gathered to rebuild it to serve the spiritual needs of the fishermen in the area.

After the simple but solemn Announcement Ceremony ended, Mr. Nguyen Khac Thin, who has been the master of ceremonies for many years, seemed to have one less worry. He said: "The person chosen by the villagers as the master of ceremonies must have a harmonious and happy family, a stable economy, and children. In particular, that person must be the owner of a ship or boat."

I returned to Phu Lien village the next morning. On the main day of the ceremony, I could clearly see the faces, eyes, and smiles of the captains and sailors who had experienced the storms. In the bustling atmosphere of gongs and drums in the wind, everyone could still feel the confident laughter and the strong hand-clasping of the young men who had been accustomed to the waves. I noticed a man about 60 years old, dressed in military uniform, running back and forth in front of the temple. Sometimes he lit incense, sometimes he guided people to place offerings. When asked, it was Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Chat - Head of the Phu Lien Village Veterans Association. After the ceremony, when asked, Mr. Chat said that, unlike everyone else in the village, he did not go to sea, nor did he work in any maritime service. "But my job is also very much related to the sea" - the statement of the head of the grassroots Veterans Association made anyone who met him curious. Then Mr. Chat explained that the Phu Lien Village Veterans Association has 87 members. Normally, grassroots organizations have very little budget for operations, but in Phu Lien Village, the Phu Lien Village Veterans Association is "very rich". Currently, the association's fund is up to 53 million VND. Starting in 2009, the association borrowed money to buy nets to weave into a gold net - also known as a gold net (a type of nearshore trawl net), and at the same time built a floating raft. Using the experience of fishermen, whenever they see a lot of fish coming close to shore, the association rings the gong to mobilize members to participate in pulling the net and fishing. Depending on the actual situation, each year the association organizes net pulling 3 times, each time lasting from 2 to 5 days. The fish pulled up will be sold on the spot to raise funds. Any member who, for some reason, does not participate, will have their spouse or children do it for them. If even the family members of the members cannot be present, the average value will be calculated based on the amount of money from selling mackerel divided by the number of people directly pulling the net, and the absent person will have to contribute to the association the average amount per person. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Chat shared: "All the fund of the association has been resolved to lend to members without interest. The ultimate goal is to motivate and encourage brothers and sisters to eliminate poverty, go out to sea, and affirm their position in the new trend."

I still think I know a lot about Phu Lien village, about Quynh Long coastal commune. It turns out that what I know is very modest. Even the fact that last year Mr. Tran Van Thanh's boat caught a nearly 100kg moonfish and offered it to scientists, I only now know. And in this year's fishing ceremony, everyone in the village came to burn incense for the whale's grave buried right in front of Ret temple, I felt so surprised. Phu Lien is still the same, peaceful, and warm. The village leans on Hon Kien, facing the East with a curved coastline shaped like a sail. Truly shaped like a sail.

Article and photos:Dao Tuan