Just to the north of Da Nang beach, overturned mounds of traditional basket fishing boats spread over the sand. Offshore the long boats are moored and shift in the current. This is the Man Thai fishing village, the heart of Da Nang’s local fishing community.
In the early morning hours the men of the community gather on the shore, lugging piles of net to their coracles and then offshore to the long boats. They bring in their catch and the wives and mothers bring the day’s catch to market and to the fresh seafood restaurants that can be found all over the eastside of Da Nang.
Danang X Production
A number of festivals occur for the fishermen over the year, most to venerate the Lady Buddha who is said to watch over them as they make their sometimes dangerous voyages on the open water. The Cau Ngu festival is the most notable. The villagers worship whales to bring luck for the season ahead and prosperity for the year to come.
Man Thai has preserved the local methods of fishing and a community spirit that remains untouched by increasing tourism. To take in Vietnamese fishing life as it is and has been for decades prior, take a walk through Man Thai as the men unload their catch.
Visit between five and seven in the morning to see the community at its busiest.
