Continue writing the article "Many unique suggestions for salt tourism"

As luck would have it, I learned that writer Phung Quang Thuan had just made a great effort to self-print and publish the novel “Homeland Salt” (Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House, 2024) shortly before the opening day of the Festival. This is the heart of a son of Bac Lieu, a former student of the Faculty of Literature, Saigon University, dedicated to the Salt Festival in his hometown Bac Lieu.

Although it is a novel, the pages are filled with information and passion from the flesh and blood and life of salt workers in the salt land.

“In Bac Lieu, there are four things that make the salt industry more favorable and the salt is of better quality than other places: land, water, sunshine and wind. Regarding land, the land is vast (the land is getting wider and wider because the coastline is silted up every year, making a salt farm after a few decades the land is wider by a kilometer without having to buy it); flat land (the land is flat due to alluvial sedimentation, so there is no need to spend money on clearing the ground); compact land (clay that is not permeable, loses water like places with loose soil, mixed with sand or sandy soil); soft land (easy to dig ditches to lead water, or salt to canals and streams); mineral land (the land is alluvial sedimentation due to the Mekong River carrying many minerals down, so making salt on this land has a special taste, and is of much higher quality than other places); new land (new land, no need to clear land, destroy forests, or uproot trees to make a flat surface for salt yards). The land is like a natural salt yard. Regarding water, the salt water of the East Sea is endless; the fresh water of the Mekong River mixes with the salt water of the East Sea, creating an ideal salinity to make delicious salt that is not bitter. also not light and porous; water next to the salt field, waiting for high tide, the water is led into the pond, just need to dig the embankment, no need for expensive pumping or pumping. Regarding the sun, Bac Lieu has a dry, hot, humid climate, water evaporates quickly; the dry season is continuous, with intense sunlight from November to April (lunar calendar). Regarding the wind, the monsoon wind from the East Sea blows strongly (strong wind) making water evaporate quickly, the time for crystallization and salt loss is short; the wind is cool, the workers work hard, high productivity..." (pages 217, 218, 219).

“In the future, tourism will be brought to the salt fields in Bac Lieu to develop the salt industry, helping salt farmers increase their income,” is a content mentioned in the novel “Homeland Salt”. Illustration: HT

“Hung (the main character of the story, an intellectual, who, due to his livelihood, had to go to Long Dien salt land to study and work in salt making - PV) came up with the idea of ​​bringing tourism to the salt fields in Bac Lieu in the future to develop the salt industry, helping salt workers increase their income. Hung was interested in this idea: Yes, make a complex area from the sea to the black sand beach, the sand beach to the mangrove forest, mangrove forest, water storage pond, settling pond, drying yard, crystallization yard, water collection pond and dining area, entertainment, relaxation... Beach area: mud bath, sliding on mud by boat (mud skateboard), air cushion boat running by fan on mud beach, catching clams; forest area: visit the mangrove forest plants and animals: crabs, fish, clams, snails, mudskippers, seabirds; beach area: make large seawater settling ponds to get clear water to large bathing pools, spread tarpaulin, spreading sand to make an artificial beach with a wave machine; salt field area: visiting salt fields, salt making tools, allowing visitors to experience making stars, fish, buffaloes... out of salt; salt product processing area: working in a covered house, making salt warehouses, manufacturing and processing from salt, mustard sauce, radish, salted fish, three-sided crab... all kinds of shrimp salt, chili salt, pepper...; non-sinkable hot spring bathing area (the experience of floating on the water like bathing in the Dead Sea): a large swimming pool under a roof for people to experience the feeling and treat skin diseases; salt statue area (under a roof): statues of historical figures and figures of Bac Lieu; dining, entertainment, souvenir shopping area; resort area: for visitors who have time and need to stay for a few days to recuperate and treat illnesses...".

When I wrote and sent these lines to the Bac Lieu Newspaper Editorial Office, the veteran with a heavy heart for the salt of his homeland, a member of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, brought several guests back to Ho Chi Minh City, before leaving me the address for the distribution of the novel “Salt of the homeland”: Distribution point - 107 Ba Trieu, Hamlet 4, Ward 3, Bac Lieu City. Tel: 0939596575.

Here is a quote from page 225 to end this short article: “Salt is the pure child of father Sun and mother Sea. Salt is beautiful and sparkling like diamonds, can purify, detoxify and remove all the bad smell from the wastewater that humans dump into the sea. There, salt turns that wastewater into pure sea water. I wish that in everyone’s heart and soul there is that precious salt to turn bad thoughts and dirty words from the outside into good thoughts and holy words.”

Nha An

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/viet-tiep-bai-bao-nhieu-hien-ke-doc-dao%E2%80%8B-cho-du-lich-muoi-99705.html