Beautiful coastal villages: Ancient fishing village of Hon Thien on Nai Lagoon

Hon Thien Village, Xuan Hai Commune, Khanh Hoa Province (formerly Tan Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District, Ninh Thuan Province) is no longer a strange name on the Vietnam tourism map. Once a peaceful fishing village with ancient houses, the mark of time deeply imprinted on each brick, Hon Thien today has put on a new coat, becoming a tourist attraction, opening up opportunities for sustainable development, improving the lives of more than 1,400 residents here.

The Hundred Year Old Village

Nai Lagoon, one of 12 important lagoons of Vietnam, is typical of the dry tropical coastal region. From Phan Rang-Thap Cham City, old Ninh Thuan Province, going north along Highway 1A about 7 km is Hon Thien fishing village. Formed in 1925, Hon Thien village initially had only about 54 households living there.

For more than a century, the lives of Hon Thien people have been closely linked to the rich aquatic resources of Dam Nai. With a natural area of 1,700 hectares and over 320 aquatic species, Dam Nai is not only a source of livelihood but also a source of pride for the local people. In addition to catching natural aquatic resources, people also invest in aquaculture such as shrimp, clams, snails, oysters, etc. around Dam Nai.

Những ngôi làng tuyệt đẹp ven biển: Làng chài cổ kính Hòn Thiên bên Đầm Nại- Ảnh 1. — Hon Thien fishing village on Nai Lagoon

The image of fishermen on their characteristic pointed boats leisurely rowing in the middle of Nai Lagoon, starting a new day under the dawn light, is a favorite destination for photographers, art lovers, and nature lovers everywhere to come here to compose. Gradually, the lives of residents of Hon Thien village have been improved thanks to the harmonious combination of fishing, aquaculture and community tourism development.

"Breath" from the 3D mural project

In mid-2020, Mr. Nguyen Thai Lai (30 years old), a son of Hon Thien village, breathed life into the ancient fishing village and transformed it into a colorful community tourism destination, bringing new life to local people through the 3D mural road project.

With the consent of the local government and the cooperation of the neighbors, Mr. Lai hired artists from Ho Chi Minh City to come to Hon Thien to paint 40 unique large-scale murals. The mossy walls of the houses along the road were decorated by the artists with impressive images, harmonious colors, and eye-catching patterns.

Những ngôi làng tuyệt đẹp ven biển: Làng chài cổ kính Hòn Thiên bên Đầm Nại- Ảnh 2. — Hon Thien Village is a favorite destination for photographers, art lovers, and nature lovers.

The themes of the paintings depict the natural beauty and the daily life of the people of Hon Thien coastal village, which is very impressive. More than beautifying the landscape, these paintings have breathed new life into the landscape, attracting many tourists to visit, take pictures and explore the traditional cultural beauty mixed with the modern breath of this land.

Along with that, Mr. Lai continued to invest in kayaks to serve tourists to experience rowing on the water of Dam Nai. Since then, Hon Thien village has attracted more and more domestic and foreign tourists to explore. Many people who used to be fishermen have now become owners of local food stalls such as banh xeo, banh can, banh tai vac, banh beo, banh trang gio hanoi, bun sua ... serving tourists.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Ky, Head of Hon Thien village, said that in recent years, the local government and people have joined hands to build a green - clean - beautiful - safe residential area; 100% of village roads and alleys have been concreted. People mainly live on aquaculture, fishing and combining community tourism models for stable income. The whole village currently has 367 households (1,406 people) but only 3 households are poor due to the elderly living alone; security and order are maintained, people's lives are increasingly improved.

From a peaceful fishing village on the shore of Dam Nai, Hon Thien has grown to become an attractive destination, demonstrating the innovative spirit of the people here. (continued)