Finished for the day © A. Harrison
It was the first time I’d seen them: large baskets bobbing on the water or resting upturned on the sand. Later I’d find them not only around Vietnam but also in parts of Japan.
Basket boats (or thung chai) are traditional fishing boats used along the stretch of coast around Hoi An in Vietnam. (I also found them in Sado, Japan.) They began life when Indochina was a French colony, and a tax was levied on all boats. To dodge the French taxman, the local fishermen wove these ‘baskets’ from bamboo. It was simply a coincidence the baskets happened to float and were large enough to hold a few fishermen and a large catch of fish. Thus the tax was successfully avoided.
Basket boats and traditional fishing boats, with the Giant Lady Buddha in the background © A. Harrison
They proved perfect for shallow water and rocky coastlines, and were very manoeuvrable. Of course, by manoeuvrable, I refer to those who know how to use them.
“Come on,’ he said, “it’s easy.”
Perhaps for someone raised on these waters. Perhaps for someone who’s been using these boats from the time they could walk. Perhaps, like the gondoliers of Venice, they are born with webbed feet, the better to walk on water. Or so the myth goes.
As I went around in circles, my guide (when not laughing at me) had his boat rocking and prancing across the water.
Thung chai remain a common sight. One morning I rose before dawn and went out on a local fishing boats in Hoi An; the basket boats were be among them, the fishermen throwing nets in the pre-dawn light. Mostly they stay closer to shore, for their design means these boats are incredibly buoyant. They can turn quickly in any direction — perfect for darting in and out of all the nooks and crannies along a rugged coastline, where larger boats can’t go.
My Khe (the famous China Beach of the Vietnam war) is the place many tourists go to see and take a ride in these boats. As I drove past I saw dozens of them upturned on the beach, they’re work done for the day. Driving along the coast around Hoi An the large baskets were everywhere. If not working out to sea, they will be on the shore, covered with nets spread out to dry after a day’s work. Spy a cluster of them, and someone is bound to be nearby selling freshly caught fish. I saw them at a local market, used to ferry the fresh catch from the larger boats to shore. The poor guy steering the thing was literally swamped by buyers as he reached the dock, everyone desperate for the freshest buy.
Fishing nets left to dry © A. Harrison
Although raised around boats I found these ridiculously hard to steer. Round, with a flat bottom, no rudder and just one oar, I had to stand near the edge to row. The theory is to make circles with the oar, but instead I ended up very wet, and going nowhere. Yet as I made a fool of myself, the captain of our boat cooked up a delicious breakfast of fresh clams and prawns, sticky rice, and stir-fried morning glory, followed by a strong Vietnamese coffee. A perfect start to any day.
It looks such a peaceful way to travel… © A. Harrison
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