The Intricate Art Of Vietnamese Boat-Making

The Vietnamese boat people were refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The migration and humanitarian crisis was at its highest in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it continued well into the early 1990s. The term boat people is used to refer to those who fled Vietnam by sea in small boats, often facing danger from pirates, storms, and overcrowded boats. The first boatload of Vietnamese refugees sailed into Darwin Harbour, Australia, in April 1976, and since then, countries like the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia have resettled hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees.

Vietnamese boat people

The Vietnamese Boat People were refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its highest in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it continued well into the early 1990s. The term "boat people" is used to refer specifically to those who fled Vietnam by sea.

The mass exodus of Vietnamese refugees started in 1975 and continued through to the early 1990s, with the peak between 1979 and 1985. The number of boat people leaving Vietnam and arriving safely in another country totalled almost 800,000 between 1975 and 1995. Many of the refugees did not survive the passage, facing danger from pirates, overcrowded boats, and storms. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, between 200,000 and 400,000 boat people died at sea.

The first destinations of the boat people were Hong Kong and Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The combination of economic sanctions, the legacy of destruction left by the Vietnam War, policies of the Vietnamese government, and further conflicts caused an international humanitarian crisis, with Southeast Asian countries increasingly unwilling to accept more refugees. After negotiations and an international conference in 1979, Vietnam agreed to limit the flow of people leaving the country, and the rest of the world, especially more developed countries, agreed to assume most of the costs of caring for and resettling the refugees.

The Vietnamese Boat People generation is an aging population with stories of courage and hope that need to be preserved as part of the Vietnam War history. Their stories are ones of loss, separation, survival, and resilience. Many risked their lives so their children could have a chance at freedom and a future.

There were many methods employed by Vietnamese citizens to leave the country. Most were secret and done at night; some involved the bribing of top government officials. Some people bought places in large boats that could hold up to several hundred passengers, while others boarded fishing boats, a common occupation in Vietnam. One method involved middle-class refugees from Saigon travelling approximately 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) to Da Nang by road. On arrival, they would take refuge for a couple of days in safe houses while waiting for fishing junks and trawlers to take small groups into international waters.

The dangers faced by the boat people included storms, diseases, starvation, and pirates. The boats were not intended for navigating open waters and were especially vulnerable due to the lack of weapons to defend themselves. A typical story of the hazards faced by the boat people was told by a man named Le Phuoc, who left Vietnam with 17 other people in a small boat to attempt the passage across the Gulf of Thailand to southern Thailand or Malaysia. Their outboard motors soon failed, and they drifted without power and ran out of food and water. Thai pirates boarded their boat three times during their 17-day voyage, raping the four women on board and killing one, stealing their possessions, and abducting one man who was never found.

In response to the outpouring of boat people, neighbouring countries, with international assistance, set up refugee camps along their shores and on small, isolated islands. Two of the largest refugee camps were Bidong Island in Malaysia and Galang Refugee Camp in Indonesia. Refugees usually had to live in camps for several months, and sometimes years, before being resettled.

The main countries that resettled significant numbers of Vietnamese refugees were the United States, Canada, Italy, Australia, France, West Germany, and the United Kingdom. The resettlement process included programs and facilities such as the Orderly Departure Program, the Philippine Refugee Processing Center, and the Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Basket boats

The origin of the basket boat is unclear, but it is believed that they were invented during the French colonial era as a way for poor fishermen to avoid taxes on boats. The fishermen argued that these circular, woven boats were not boats at all, but baskets, and were therefore not subject to taxation. The basket boats quickly became popular up and down the coast, thanks to their tax-free status and their impressive engineering.

The process of making a basket boat is meticulous and requires special skills. An artisan must gather young bamboo, sun-dry the pieces, and then whittle them down to an exact size before weaving them together by hand. Once the basket frame is complete, it is covered with resin, tar, or a mixture of cow dung to make it waterproof. Finally, the boat is coated with sap from a local tree and left out to dry in the sun.

The round shape and lightweight materials of basket boats help them move naturally with the sea, and they rarely overturn. This makes them ideal for fishing close to shore. Learning to manoeuvre a basket boat takes time, as their round shape causes them to spin in circles. Traditionally, fishermen controlled the boats by waving an oar back and forth in an arc-like motion.

Today, basket boats continue to be an important part of communities in coastal Vietnam. They serve as lifeboats during emergencies at sea, and are also used for transportation and racing. While traditional basket boats are still used, many fishermen have updated their vessels with modern materials such as fibreglass, canvas, and composite, and have added sails or engines to travel further offshore.

Dragon boats

In Vietnam, dragon boats were used to serve the royal family on their sightseeing trips on the river or lake, particularly in the city of Hue. Hue is known for its pagodas, palaces, temples, and tombs, and booking a boat trip through the Perfume River is a tranquil way to experience the former capital city.

Dragon boat racing is a national sport in Vietnam and has become a traditional way to celebrate Tet Nguyen Dan, the Vietnamese New Year.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday that falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, typically late May or early June in the Gregorian calendar. The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, the beloved prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu during the Warring States period, about 600 B.C. to 200 B.C. The festival involves dragon boat races and the eating of sticky rice dumplings called zongzi, which were southern Chinese traditions.

The legend goes that Qu Yuan, a minister in one of the Warring State governments, was slandered by jealous officials and banished by the king. Disappointed in the Chu monarch, he drowned himself in the Miluo River. The people rushed to the water to try and save him or at least retrieve his body, but they failed. To prevent the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body, they scattered rice into the water. This is said to be the origin of zongzi, the traditional food of the festival.

Junks

Today, junks are no longer used for trade or military purposes, but rather for travel and sightseeing. Halong Bay in Vietnam is a popular destination for junk boat cruises. The bay is a World Heritage Site known for its thousands of limestone karsts that rise dramatically from the emerald waters. A cruise on a traditional-style junk boat through Halong Bay offers a serene landscape and a chance to explore myriad hidden caves by kayak.

There are various options for junk boat cruises in Halong Bay, ranging from budget to luxury. Some cruises offer overnight stays on the boat, allowing passengers to wake up to the unique misty morning sights of the bay. Passengers can also enjoy scrumptious meals cooked on board, relax on deck, and chat with the friendly crew.

In addition to Halong Bay, there are also junk boat cruises available in Bai Tu Long Bay, a less visited destination that offers a more off-the-beaten-path experience.

Fishing boats

Fishing is a central part of Vietnamese culture, with many communities relying on marine life for income and food. The country's fishing boats have been redesigned over the years to encourage the best fishing practices off the Vietnamese coast.

Agriculture is the main source of income in Vietnam, employing more than half of its population. Therefore, the fishing boats that line the coast are essential to sustaining the livelihoods of the people.

The modernisation of Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam, has also helped develop different fishing styles throughout the centuries. One example of this is the coracle, native to Wales, which has been used in Vietnam for centuries and is still prominent today. The oval-shaped design, with an interwoven bamboo frame and a canvas layer, enables fishermen to quickly manoeuvre the small boat, which is about two metres wide.

Coracles are small but handy tools for fishermen who can't afford modern boats, and they are also cheaper to run than boats with diesel engines. They cause hardly any noise or movement in the water, making them just as effective for catching fish as high-powered vessels.

Another type of fishing boat used in Vietnam is the sampan, a flat-bottomed wooden boat found in East, Southeast, and South Asia. They are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers and are often used as traditional fishing boats. It is unusual for a sampan to sail far from land, as they are not equipped to survive rough weather.

In addition to coracles and sampans, Vietnamese fishermen also use larger vessels that can travel further out to sea. These engine-powered wooden boats allow fishermen to capture greater quantities of fish and other seafood.

The elongated traditional wooden boat design is another stereotype of Vietnamese fishing. The long, sleek wooden design allows fishermen to paddle through the waters with minimal effort, creating less friction and disturbance in the water—perfect for a successful fishing trip.

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