Bac Lieu salt fields

Bac Lieu, a land of the Mekong Delta, is not only famous for its sweet folk music melodies and rice fields stretching as far as the eye can see, but is also known for its traditional salt-making profession, imbued with the salty flavor of the ocean.

Overview about Bac Lieu salt fields

Bac Lieu is a coastal province of the Mekong Delta. It is considered the salt capital as it is one of the places with the largest salt production areas in the country, with two famous districts, Hoa Binh and Dong Hai. With a history of more than 100 years of formation and development, Bac Lieu salt makers have accumulated practical skills and inherited the unique salt-making profession.

Bac Lieu salt has long been famous throughout the South for its rich, unique and distinctive flavor. Not only that, the vast salt fields are dyed a pure white color, creating a beautiful landscape that attracts many tourists every year. This place has fresh air and poetic beauty. Bac Lieu’s salt fields are often divided into many small rectangular squares, straight and very neat. After harvesting, the salt is piled into large piles. When there is sunlight, these piles of salt sparkle like diamonds growing in the middle of the field. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the scene of Bac Lieu people in Bac Lieu salt fields diligently picking salt evokes a simple beauty but also has a mysterious charm.

The best time to visit Bac Lieu salt fields

A visit to Bac Lieu salt fields allows visitors to conveniently “live virtually” and save beautiful photos with friends and relatives without having to pay an entrance fee. The best time to fully appreciate the beauty of this place is early in the morning or at sunset. Because at this time the sunlight is not too bright to be able to see the whole field clearly and have a sparkling photo. The salt harvest season begins around December, which is the driest season in the West, from around December to April of the following year. During these seasons, the salt fields become busier, and Bac Lieu people are always busy harvesting salt.

Visiting the salt fields and witnessing the Bac Lieu people working, visitors will appreciate and cherish the white salt grains even more. A grain of salt, although extremely small, contains a lot of effort and the unique flavor of the sea.

Salt making activities at Bac Lieu salt fields

Before starting production, local people need to store water, carefully make a drying area, renovate it with mechanical means, and flatten the area tightly to collect seawater. After 12 ~ 18 days, the seawater evaporates into salt thanks to the sun burning in the sky and on the earth.

At that time, people use rakes to harvest salt and it usually takes place in the early morning or cool afternoon. Then, let it sit for about 3-4 hours, drain the water, fill the cart with salt and transport it to the collection point.

Previously, most salt was produced directly in the fields using traditional methods. But now, people have seized the opportunity and learned how to successfully use new technology to replace traditional manual methods, producing salt grains with economic value, focusing more on quality.

On the Bac Lieu salt fields filled with sunlight and wind, heavy carts, drops of sweat under the heat of the sea salt rise up with the footsteps of Bac Lieu people. Bac Lieu salt fields are an ideal place to learn more about life and create unforgettable memories in a land filled with the salty taste of the sea.

Outstanding characteristics of Bac Lieu salt

Considered the capital of salt production in Vietnam, Bac Lieu is one of the localities with the largest salt production area in the country. Located in the coastal area of ​​the Mekong Delta, the sea is clean with high salinity, not bitter, so Bac Lieu’s salt production is famous throughout the South. The Chinese who came to reclaim and establish the land were the first to lay the foundation for the salt production here. During the years of resistance against France and the US, only wealthy households were allowed to produce salt in the fields along the river. Currently, there are still a number of large architectural works and mansions built during the French colonial period that are the property of the former salt producers. And one of the great motivations for local people to preserve this tradition is that Bac Lieu salt was recognized as a national trademark for geographical indication protection in 2013.

In particular, on September 30, 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 2746 to include Bac Lieu’s salt making profession in the list of national intangible cultural heritages. Bac Lieu salt is not only a culinary specialty but also contains many cultural characteristics of the residents of Bac Lieu coastal area.

Not only that, the giant salt fields are covered in a pure white color, creating a beautiful landscape that attracts many tourists to Bac Lieu every year.

Notes when visiting Bac Lieu salt fields

• Visitors should visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon, avoid coming at noon because it is very hot and stuffy.
• If you come to visit and take pictures at Bac Lieu salt fields, remember to ask permission from the locals first so as not to affect their work.
• To ensure convenience and safety, wear sneakers or flat shoes when traveling.
• To protect your skin from damage and irritation, always remember to bring hats, caps, sunglasses and apply sunscreen regularly.
• If you plan to take “virtual life” photos, light clothing should be prioritized, especially for the elderly.

The people of Bac Lieu are very friendly so feel free to chat or invite us to join the salt harvest to better understand the process of making salt grains.

Source: collected by An

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