Sweet taste for salt grain

Although Bac Lieu salt is salty, it has a sweet aftertaste, this has been confirmed for a long time. However, how to bring a truly sweet aftertaste to the salt grains, after a Salt Festival looking back on the 100-year journey of the salt industry - Human life, there are tasks that need to be promoted quickly.

Enhancing the value of salt grains and opening a new page for the salt industry will bring that sweet taste...

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha commended entities with outstanding salt products nationwide. Photo: HT

The torment of the job of "carrying the sun and carrying the rain"

“ It is truly heartbreaking that after hundreds of years, in today’s salt fields, human labor still replaces machines and just one rain can cause the salt workers’ efforts to go down the drain ”. “ The Salt Festival is an opportunity to honor the salt workers who carry the sun and rain to make salt grains that crystallize the salty flavor, the pearls of the sea ”. “ The salt grains in the lives of salt workers also crystallize within themselves the story of hardships, struggles with the harsh sun, storms, perseverance, creativity, and loyalty of the salt workers, as the salty lyrics in the folk song “Dry Sea” by composer Ngo Hong Khanh say: “Long Dien salt is salty and loyal ”…

In his impressive speech at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Salt Festival - Bac Lieu 2025, Deputy Prime Minister - Tran Hong Ha, in addition to giving practical directions and solutions for the salt industry, we also felt the Deputy Prime Minister's deep sympathy for the hardships of the salt industry. The sympathy for the hardships of the salt workers' lives has turned into many humane sayings like that!

And the salt workers usually only wear thin, faded clothes that are sometimes torn because of the saltiness. That day, when they stepped onto the grand stage at a very meaningful event to receive their honorary certificates, they wore neat clothes. But the dark, sunburned skin of the men and women vividly illustrated each line of the song, making people want to cry: " Oh salt, it seeps into the flesh/ The father's body is salty and bitter, selling his back to the sky/ Salt nourishes the life of a hard-working person/ Years of heavy burdens for his children to become people / The sky is sad, the sky is stormy/ The salt melts and flows to the East Sea ". That is the song "Oh Salt" by musician Pham Hong Bien performed by singer Quoc Dai in the art program opening the event.

That skin color speaks of all the hardships, making us unable to help but feel troubled about the people who "carry the sun and carry the rain" to preserve the traditional profession that has existed for hundreds of years, passed down from father to son through generations of hard-working people...

Trust from commitment

“The Festival is a festival and also a recognition and honor of the Government, ministries, branches and localities in their commitment to accompany people in finding new directions so that salt grains can become a product of high economic value, the pride of the Vietnamese people.”

“ At the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Salt Festival - Bac Lieu 2025 today, on behalf of the Government and the Prime Minister, I would like to request the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to preside with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities to focus on synchronously implementing the following tasks, and this is also the commitment of the Government, the Prime Minister, and ministries, branches and localities to carry out in the coming time…”.

The commitment was mentioned twice by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha…

Sharing the joy with Bac Lieu, the Deputy Prime Minister also multiplied the pride of salt farmers when recognizing this salt land as the salt capital of Vietnam! The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed that he was very impressed with the efforts of Bac Lieu province in preserving and developing the salt industry, so that this is not only the largest salt production place in the country, but also a place to preserve unique cultural features affirming the unique value of this salt land: “All show the aspiration to rise of the people and local authorities here. Bac Lieu does not stop at making salt, but also combines tourism and culture, turning salt fields into attractive destinations so that visitors not only see salt grains, but also understand the story of the people who make it, this land. It can be said that this is a very correct direction to enhance and extend the value chain of Vietnamese salt grains”.

Having had aspirations and efforts to preserve through hundreds of years of ups and downs, now, the commitment is emphasized in the direction of salt industry development, opening a path for Vietnamese salt in general, Bac Lieu in particular, further fostering a strong belief!

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - Pham Van Thieu awarded certificates of honor to salt farmers who have made many contributions to the development of the salt industry in the province. Photo: M.D

In the future, Bac Lieu salt land...

There is an interesting coincidence that the art of Don ca tai tu (ĐCTT) is present in 21 provinces and cities in the South, but Bac Lieu is considered one of the important "cradles" with many talented people contributing to the formation and development, sublimation of this type of national music. Therefore, Bac Lieu is the first province to organize the first National ĐCTT Festival in 2014. The salt industry is also present in 20 provinces and cities across the country, but only the salt industry in Bac Lieu was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020. And it is also the province that is honored to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to organize the first National Salt Industry Festival!

Bac Lieu always leaves a special impression on visitors and guests at important events. Many delegates, who are businessmen, tourism consultants, investment partners, etc., all share the same feeling that every time they come to Bac Lieu, they are impressed and moved by the way Bac Lieu people treat them! Therefore, when giving advice to help Bac Lieu get rich from salt, friends and partners also devote their whole heart to sending and giving advice...

The bright future for the Vietnamese salt industry is beginning to open new pages. And Bac Lieu - our "salt capital" will also be different in the future! That is when the Government's directive is implemented immediately: ministries, branches and the Provincial People's Committee continue to improve quality standards, promote the Bac Lieu salt brand to the international market so that the world knows more about Bac Lieu salt. Salt farmers will start to get rich when salt products go further and more widely. If the salt industry has a fund to ensure risks, salt farmers will stop feeling sad because of the bitter salt seasons. Furthermore, realizing the suggestions associated with the actual conditions of Bac Lieu, the salt fields will not only be a place of production but also a cultural and tourist asset. The "A day as a salt farmer" tour, or the homestay model for tourists to experience the salt industry, and even a "Salt Creation Center" if they become a reality will prove that salt can do many things to improve the lives of salt farmers, not just a salty grain in daily spices.

Closing the Festival, we light up faith and hope for salt grains and the salt profession! And importantly, if we do not quickly and effectively carry out the assigned tasks, we will continue to "owe" salt grains, and feel guilty towards the people who "carry the sun and rain" to preserve the heritage profession! No, tomorrow, salt grains will have a sweet taste, the lives of salt makers will be different when there are firm commitments from the Government, from departments, branches and local authorities. Solutions and directions to realize the commitments have been and are beginning...

CAM THUY

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/festival-nghe-muoi-viet-nam-bac-lieu-2025/du-vi-ngot-cho-hat-muoi-99663.html