The ‘season of difficult seas,’ as it is known to fishermen in the central region, is reminiscent of a legendary Vietnamese tale.
Fishermen in central provinces such as Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, and neighboring areas admit they are doing what was told thousands of years ago in the tale of ‘the Dragon and the Fairy,’ who are believed to be the Father and the Mother of the Vietnamese people.
From the ninth month of the lunar calendar until Tet (New Year), when the ‘season of difficult seas’ starts with storms, rough seas and strong winds, fishermen pause their sea voyages to travel to the mountainous areas of the Central Highlands to find partners to farm with.
This is similar to the tale in which Father Lac Long Quan – a dragon living in the water -- and Mother Au Co – a fairy living in the mountains -- met, fell in love, get married, and have 100 children. On the day they separated, the Father took 50 children to sea and the Mother brought 50 children to the mountains, promising that if either group encounters misfortune, then the other group must help them.
Now, Quang Ngai fishermen are eager to farm in Central Highlands Provinces such as as Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Dak Lak when the sea waters pose a threat.
Season of migration
Fisherman Nguyen Van Quang, from Quang Ngai’s Binh Chau District, kissed his 6-year-old daughter goodbye when she asked, “Do you stay there longer than when you go to sea? When will you come back?”
Holding her in his arms, he promised to be back to visit her before Tet, Vietnam’s lunar New Year, which is four months away.
Phu Quy Hamlet in Binh Chau has 200 families working in the fishing industry, and 120 of them own farms in the Central Highlands.
So when they don’t go out to sea, they travel to the highlands, said Nguyen Van Phuc, head of the hamlet.
Twenty years ago, fishermen simply stayed at home and drank like fish during the ‘difficult sea season’ because they didn’t have farms, he recalled.
Fisherman Tieu Viet Tuyen, who lives in Quang Ngai, said he and many others take a break from the sea during the stormy season to ‘emigrate’ and set up ‘Quang Ngai villages’ in Gia Lai to cultivate coffee trees.
“During the harvest season, it is happy here, and lights are lit up all night for work and chatting.
“Many Quang Ngai people are hired to come here to collect coffee beans and pepper.
“Though we have had good farms here in recent years, we must go back to the coast and head for the open sea because we miss the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos,” said Tuyen.
A family named Tieu has over 20 households, and all of them now have farms in Gia Lai and Dak Lak.
Tieu Viet Hong said, “We are fishermen but can farm as well. My house was built thanks to the profits from both fishing and farming.”
Thanks to this migration, Quang Ngai fishermen have established many villages in the Central Highlands. They often offer directions to strangers in a Quang Ngai accent.
Tuoi Tre had a Quang Ngai native approach us and ask, “Who are you looking for? Did you come from Quang Ngai?”
He explained the area, saying “Here most locals are from the J’Rai community, and those who are not locals are often from Quang Ngai. I just want to offer any directions if you need them because I know many Quang Ngai villages here.”
The area several kilometers from National Highway 19 in Gia Lai was previously uninhabited land covered by weeds and grass, but it is now covered in coffee and pepper farms built by people from Quang Ngai.
“A hectare of land now costs 500 – 700 million dong [US$24,000 – 33,700],” said Duong Van Thom, who lives in Village A in Gao Commune, Gia Lai.
“I took my family here in 2009 after clearing 1.5 hectares of farm land,” he added.
He said he has a stable life on the land but is willing to ‘go down the mountain’ to fish when the seas become calm.
“If you enter the fishing industry at sea, you can’t give it up because you miss the sea,” he said.