Along both banks of the Lo River section passing through the central area of Tuyen Quang province, there are dozens of households still living and clinging to temporary rafts to make a living.
The life of fishing village residents is difficult, and livelihood depends on the erratic ups and downs of the Lo River.
The floating houses here are mostly made of wooden planks, old corrugated iron roofs and floating drums below. Surrounding them are dense anchor ropes to keep the house stable with each up and down tide.
Floating houses with an area of only a few dozen square meters are the living place of many generations in the families of fishing village residents.
Every time the dry season comes, fishermen along the Lo River bank have to struggle to find all sorts of ways to make a living. Some go ashore to find odd jobs, others still cling to the water to cast nets to catch fish, saving every penny.
Entering June every year, when the water level of the Lo River begins to rise, in some places the flow is fast, making the lives of fishing villagers even more dangerous.
Having been attached to the fishing village for more than 20 years, Mr. Le Cuong Quyet (Nong Tien ward) understands better than anyone the hardships and dangers of fishing village residents. Especially at the time when the storm and flood season is approaching, the river water is rising.
According to Mr. Quyet, the temporary rafts were built a long time ago, so during rain and floods, the river water was turbulent, and strong winds could break the anchoring ropes.
The rising tide drags along aquatic resources, but people have to trade safety for livelihood.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh An (Nong Tien ward), the rainy and flood season is approaching, and fishing village residents are constantly worried about their lives.
At this time, the river water began to rise, and the dark night seemed to be unrequited because of concerns about waste and large timber from upstream pouring in and colliding with boats, causing damage and capsizing.
The life of the fishing village is very hard, many families have 3 or 4 generations living together. In the dry season, the bottom is bare and there is no fish to catch, and in the flood season, it is full of danger. Because of difficulties, everyone has to cling to this place. The fishing village has existed for decades, and so many generations have been attached to this place.
Everyone wishes to build a house on the shore in the future to feel secure in doing business and living. More than half a lifetime clinging to here, I am always worried and anxious," Mr. An said sadly.
