More than 60 km away from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio appears with the vast green of mangrove forests, small roads leading to the sea and the tiring appearance of fishermen who attach their lives to the storm.
In the place known as the "green lung" of the city, fishing village culture is not only a part of life, but also a spiritual support, a bond that connects the community through many generations.
Despite many changes, Can Gio people still maintain a rustic, peaceful and affectionate lifestyle - which has created a "water region identity" that no other place has. And it is from the sea that the people here have gradually stabilized their lives, reduced poverty and built a more sustainable future for their families and homeland.
From the boat dock to the early market
From dawn, in the quiet space, the sound of train engines echoed from Can Thanh wharf. The balls from the langur checked the net, used flashlights to quickly scan the foam boxes, tied the anchor ropes..., signaling a new day for fishermen to start when the sun had not yet touched the horizon.
Nowadays, fishing vessels have been changed, boats have been equipped with new machines, nets have been improved, but the spirit of "going with the wind" is still intact. The sea is not only a source of life, but also a place to pass on skills and fire. Can Gio people still teach their children how to read the wind direction, identify the flow, and distinguish each type of fish - the knowledge passed down from generation to generation of residents in the coastal area.
At around 6am, Can Gio market started to bustle. Fresh fish baskets: catfish, crab, and blue bone fish are transported from the wharf to the market in the familiar laughter and announcement.
We were present at Hang Duong seafood market - a famous market in Can Gio with many seafood specialties, Ms. Hoang Thi Giang, a trader here, recounted: "People here live mainly on the sea all year round. From early on, we went to collect seafood from fishermen to catch. Gradually, the lifestyle and culture of the coastal people among traders and fishermen were formed. We even know each other so much that we don't need to ask for the price to know how much this type of seafood costs and how it is sold."
Other traders here recount that the market is not only a place for buying and selling, but also a place to connect the community. Coast Guard women meet every morning to exchange news, ask about the situation of each boat, and help each other classify fish.
The culture of the sea market has long been a characteristic of Can Gio - vibrant but profound, full of the salty breath of fishermen's life.
Sustainable livelihoods help reduce poverty and stabilize life
In Can Gio, many households are living on the exploitation and aquaculture of aquatic products. Thanks to support programs, science and technology transfer and coastal livelihood models, many households have escaped poverty sustainably.
Ms. Diem Phuong, Vice Chairman of Can Gio Commune People's Committee shared with us about community cultural activities, such as fishing culture that helps improve the lives of local fishing villagers: "To ensure that all classes of people have equal access to spiritual life, especially in a special area like Can Gio, in recent times, the locality has implemented community cultural and artistic activities in a flexible direction, close to the people and taking the people as the center.
The locality organizes community cultural and artistic activities in a mobile form, bringing the program to coastal hamlets and residential areas, especially fishing villages.
The content focuses on reflecting the culture of fishing, working life and daily activities of the people, making it easier for people to access and sympathize. This implementation ensures that all people, even in areas far from the center, enjoy cultural activities, contributing to improving spiritual life and community cohesion".
Thanks to the preservation of the village culture and the village spirit, visitors to Can Gio not only see the sea but also feel the breath of life of a community that has been attached to the sea for centuries.
Along with the development of "green - ecological - community" Can Gio tourism, many tours to experience fishing village life have been born: taking a basket boat to the sea, pulling a net with fishermen, visiting the oyster farm, cooking at people's homes... to learn about the culture of fishing villagers.
These activities not only help tourists better understand the marine industry but also open up more income for people.
More and more fishermen are turning a part of their time into services: tour guides, boat rentals, selling fresh seafood, opening small homestays. The new pace of life has helped the fishing village both maintain its identity and open the door to more sustainable development.
Sharing more about the upcoming orientation for people in Can Gio, Ms. Diem Phuong, Vice Chairman of Can Gio Commune People's Committee, said that Can Gio Commune continues to identify cultural development as one of the important pillars, not only to improve the spiritual life of the people but also closely associated with the goal of creating livelihoods, strengthening community cohesion and sustainable development.
Accordingly, the locality continues to deploy and replicate community cultural - tourism models associated with marine culture, in which people play a central role. These models create conditions for people to directly participate in introducing traditional crafts, cultural activities, cuisine, and folk beliefs; thereby both preserving their identity and generating more income from service and tourism activities.
At the same time, the locality continues to focus on developing grassroots cultural and artistic activities, such as mobile performances, periodic cultural activities in residential areas and coastal hamlets, to ensure that all people have equal access to spiritual life. Maintaining these activities regularly helps culture truly come into life, becoming a core need of the community.
"In terms of expectations, we hope that Can Gio culture will not only be preserved as a traditional value, but also promoted as a soft resource for socio-economic development. When culture is associated with livelihoods, people are not only beneficiaries but also creative and beneficial entities, thereby raising awareness of heritage conservation and living environment.
Regarding hunger eradication and poverty reduction, Can Gio recognizes this as a long-term process, which needs to go hand in hand with improving spiritual life, creating jobs and sustainable livelihoods. In reality, when cultural and community tourism activities are implemented appropriately, they have contributed to opening up new job opportunities and increasing income for people, especially fishermen, traders and service workers.
We believe that, with the orientation of developing a culture of community-based development, linking conservation with development and focusing on sustainability, culture will continue to be a spiritual support, at the same time an important driving force to contribute to improving the quality of life and effectively implementing the goal of sustainable poverty reduction in Can Gio commune" - Ms. Diem Phuong shared.
It can be seen that Can Gio is not noisy, not bustling. This place only has the sound of waves, the sound of ships every morning and the real stories of people who see the sea are an important part of their lives.
In the journey to stabilize the economy, reduce poverty, and preserve culture, Can Gio people have proven their resilience: overcoming storms, sticking to the sea to survive, to keep their profession, and to pass on to their children and grandchildren a proud legacy. That is Can Gio culture - a culture of resilience, affection and trust in the ocean.
