When the tide has just receded, Lach Ken estuary (bordering two communes Cuong Gian, Nghi Xuan district and Thinh Loc, Loc Ha district, Ha Tinh) is bustling with people coming to rake clams and chisel oysters. In the hot sun, thin bodies bend to make a living, as hard as storks and herons...
When the tide has just receded, Lach Ken estuary (bordering two communes Cuong Gian, Nghi Xuan district and Thinh Loc, Loc Ha district, Ha Tinh) is bustling with people coming to rake clams and chisel oysters. In the hot sun, thin bodies bend to make a living, as hard as storks and herons...
From 6am, the Lach Ken estuary was bustling with the calls of people working as clam rakers and oyster diggers. Coincidentally, when the tide had just receded, everyone was here, ready for the journey to “earn rice” to feed their children.
For decades, Lach Ken has been a place for women in coastal areas in Nghi Xuan, Loc Ha, and Thach Ha districts to make a living. When their gardens and fields cannot provide a stable life for them, clam raking and oyster digging are considered “salvation” jobs.
Clam diggers in Lach Ken are mostly women, and they have been doing this job for decades.
Quickly, after a few minutes of preparation, small groups spread out in different directions, the clam diggers went down to the creek, the oyster diggers went to the rocks and sand dunes.
Wading out into the water, half a body deep, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly (48 years old, resident of Thinh Loc commune, Loc Ha district) lowered her "tool" to the ground, which was a bamboo handle about 2m long, with a U-shaped steel blade attached to the end of the handle. The woman bent down, used all her strength in both hands to press the handle, pressed the rake blade into the mud, and then walked backwards. By doing so, clams would get stuck in the rake blade. Hearing the sound of clams hitting the iron blade, Ms. Ly bent down to pick them up and put them in her bag.
Ms. Ly shared: "Clam raking often follows the tide, when the tide goes out, we go. In winter, it's freezing cold, in summer, it's so hot that it burns your skin. Sometimes I get heatstroke and faint without realizing it. There are times when I want to quit, but if I don't work, my family of five won't know where to turn."
For generations, Lach Ken has been blessed with many types of products, helping many coastal people have a "livelihood".
Among the clam rakers, only Mr. Nguyen Van Thang (59 years old, resident of Cuong Gian commune) is a man. According to Mr. Thang, in the past, there were quite a lot of people doing this job, but then the number of people gradually decreased because the work was hard and the income was not much.
“Clam raking is often a gamble with luck. Some days you can earn 200,000 - 300,000 VND, but there are also days when you work all day and only earn tens of thousands of VND. This job is very hard, almost everyone suffers from back pain, joint pain, and skin diseases. It is hard work and low income, so when there is an opportunity, many people quit and look for other jobs,” Mr. Thang confided.
Only by witnessing it with your own eyes can you understand the hardships of clam diggers. They have to soak in the sea water for hours in the hot sun, everyone is soaked.
Their hands are covered with cuts from clams, and their feet are also cut from stepping on clam and mussel shells. Despite the hardship, they all struggle to make a living. Every time they go clam digging, they work very fast, because otherwise the tide will come in.
Oyster diggers make a living in Lach Ken.
On the rocky beach to dig oysters, Mrs. Tran Thi Nhung (58 years old, living in Loc Ha district) is walking as if running. For nearly 20 years, this job has helped her earn extra money to support her life and send her 3 children to school.
Not far from Mrs. Nhung, Mrs. Vo Thi Mai (75 years old, resident of Song Nam village, Cuong Gian commune) is diligently prying oysters from the sand. For nearly 40 years, she has tried to stick with her job. Her advanced age, combined with the hot weather, makes her work even more difficult. In the middle of the vast Lach Ken, Mrs. Mai's figure is as small as a mushroom.
At the age of 75, Mrs. Mai still has to work as an oyster digger to earn money to take care of her family.
Every time she raked an oyster, she smiled. Her haggard, sunburnt face suddenly became brighter. At that moment, she thought of her family having a more complete and decent meal.
Mrs. Mai shared: “For generations, Lach Ken has provided abundant resources, however, to exploit those resources, we have to sweat and cry. At this age, I should be reunited with my children and grandchildren, but due to difficult circumstances, I have to accept oyster digging. If one day I do not go to the sea, my worries will be heavier. Therefore, I do not know when I will be able to rest.”
Small joys of oyster diggers making a living at Lach Ken estuary.
The sun was high in the sky, the tide was rising, everyone was rushing to the shore to return home. At the estuary, each person had different circumstances but they all had one thing in common: carrying on their shoulders the heavy burden of making a living, of being patient and hardworking.
Each trip of clam digging and oyster drilling is a journey that lights up the dream of a prosperous and fulfilling life. Tomorrow, when the tide recedes, a new life at the estuary begins...
Article and photos: Ngoc Thang
Presentation & technique: Huy Tung - Khoi Nguyen
2:01:08:2023:09:14
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