The 'fish sauce' boat team of Cua Hoi

The fish sauce fleet developer

During the French colonial period, the Cua Hoi area didn't just have a few boats, but a whole fleet of dozens of boats carrying fish sauce and seafood products from Nghe An, roaming throughout the North and South of Vietnam. The owner of that "fleet" of "Nghe An boats" was Mr. Bat Thoan.

Offshore fishing boats anchor at Cua Hoi. Photo: Phuong Ha.

Mr. Bat Thoan, whose real name was Tran Van Thuyen, was born in 1874. He was the son of Mr. Ba On, a renowned wealthy man in the Cua Hoi region. His father encouraged him to pursue a scholarly career. He took the provincial examination in Nghe An twice, passing both times with a bachelor's degree. Perhaps realizing that the era of Confucianism was no longer flourishing, Mr. Thuyen did not pursue a scholarly career but decided to establish himself and his career in a different direction.

Having inherited one-third of his father's estate early, Mr. Thuyen started his own business. He noticed that the Cua Hoi area had many families producing and processing fish sauce and seafood, but they only sold locally, resulting in meager profits.

Mr. Bat Thoan and his second wife, Vu Thi Xuan. Photo: Archival material.

Meanwhile, fish sauce and other products from Cua Hoi and Nghe An had gained a reputation and were very popular in many places. Therefore, while continuing to set up a factory to process fish sauce, he also decided to buy fish sauce and seafood from local fishermen, then buy boats to transport and sell them everywhere. Upon returning, he would buy local produce and goods from other regions to sell locally.

From just a few small fishing boats at the beginning, his fleet gradually grew to dozens. From Cua Hoi, these "Nghe An boats," laden with the smell of shrimp paste, traveled to many places throughout Vietnam, from the North to the South, such as Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Hue, Da Nang, and more.

InCua HoiMr. Thuyen built a very large estate and processing factory. He also spent money buying stones to build several hundred meters of embankment along the Lam River to prevent erosion in the entire area.

Starting with fish sauce and seafood, Mr. Thuyen expanded his business to include all sorts of things, as long as he saw an item that could meet market demand and generate profit. Even his fleet of boats was often incomplete upon return. Simply put, if he saw a good price, Mr. Thuyen was willing to sell the entire boat. In this way, Mr. Thuyen quickly became wealthy. He bought land in his hometown and also bought houses in Vinh. By the age of 33, Mr. Thuyen owned seven houses in Vinh that he rented out to a courtesan.

Cua Hoi fishing port viewed from above. Photo: Trung Ha

Mr. Thoan and his business career

Business was booming, but then, after a long trip to Da Nang, Mr. Thuyen suddenly returned by land instead of his usual boat. He had sold all his boats. Everyone in the family was worried, but no one dared ask.

A few days later, he announced his intention to move to Vinh to start a new life, and requested that his fourth wife, Mrs. Thược, accompany him. In Vinh, he bought a house at 110-112 Destenay Street (now Phan Đình Phùng Street), opened the Thành Lợi trading company, and began expanding his business in various directions. At this time, the railway from Vinh to Đông Hà, and later to Huế, was completed, and by 1936, the entire North-South line was open. He maintained his fleet of boats for trading seafood as before in Cửa Hội, but gradually reduced its scale. On the other hand, he expanded the range of goods traded and transported by railway, including: grains, kerosene, cooking oil, and general merchandise…

Sailing boats at Cua Hoi. Photo: Archival material.

Notably, while in 1906, Bach Thai Buoi came from Nam Dinh to contract the tax collection at Vinh Market, this time, Tran Van Thuyen went to Nam Dinh's Rong Market to contract the tax collection there. At Rong Market, he not only contracted the market tax collection but also opened a pawn shop, which later became very famous, the Nam Huong shop.

Drawing on his experience at Cho Rong Market, in the 1940s, Mr. Tran Van Thuyen also contracted to collect taxes at Vinh Market, a practice he maintained until 1945. He also had business establishments in Da Nang and several other locations. In Vinh, starting with seven houses rented to courtesans, by the 1940s he owned a total of 36 houses for rent. Similarly, in Nam Dinh, he also had three houses for rent.

The newly opened Cua Hoi Bridge connects Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces in the coastal region. Photo: Le Thang

Having become an influential industrialist and businessman, Mr. Thuyen was chosen as Chairman of the Agricultural Bank Association and a member of the Central Vietnam Advisory Council of the Agricultural Bank (Banque du Credit), a bank similar to the current Policy Bank. This was a position of considerable importance, a thankless task. Not only did he receive no salary, but he also had to act as a guarantor for farmers to borrow money from the bank at low interest rates.

When farmers were unable to repay their debts, he had to pay them himself. Because of these contributions, he was awarded the Long Bội Tinh Medal by the Protectorate Government and granted the rank of Eighth Grade official by the Southern Dynasty government. The name Bát Thoàn originated from that rank. But perhaps the greatest reward for him was the fact that many farmers became more prosperous thanks to the bank loans.

Despite his immense wealth, he was known for his frugality. He forbade his cooks from leaving leftovers, and if there were any, he instructed them to store them carefully for later use. His stinginess annoyed his family, including his parents. Yet, this thrifty man was generous when necessary. He spared no expense in providing his children with a good education. As a result, all fifteen of his children later received a solid education. While he established a large economic empire in his time, his descendants have created a vast intellectual community today.

The Bat Thoan Memorial House in Cua Hoi.

Mr. Thoan did not directly participate in the revolution, but all six of his sons were involved in revolutionary activities from the time they were still clandestine. He knew about it, but did not stop them, only warning them, "It's dangerous." During the 1945 famine, he opened his warehouse to distribute food to the hungry in Cua Hoi and Vinh. During the "Gold Week" after the August Revolution, he donated 10 taels of gold to the government.

He was healthy, handsome, masculine, talented, and wealthy, so he had many women surrounding him. During his lifetime, he had four official wives, in addition to several other women. Having multiple wives was also his way of managing his businesses and ensuring he had "high-level personnel." All the women lived with him and with each other in harmony and order.

During the scorched-earth resistance of 1947, all houses, shops, and 36 rental properties in Vinh were destroyed, and businesses in Nam Dinh and Da Nang also ceased operations. During the land reform, all of his land was confiscated, and he himself was arrested and imprisoned in Anh Son. Later, he was released, but remained confined to a small hut in the corner of his garden. On October 21, 1955 (the year of the Goat), he died in hunger, illness, and loneliness.

Following the land reform, Mr. Bat Thoan was recognized as a landlord who participated in the resistance. His descendants have now built a memorial house for him in Cua Hoi.

Pham Xuan Can