Not only is Tam Coc – Bich Dong in Ninh Binh blessed with picturesque scenery, captivating people’s hearts, but it also makes many visitors who come here experience unforgettable “unique, strange” professions that few places have.
Tam Coc – Bich Dong (located in Nam Hoa Lu Ward, Ninh Binh province) and known as “Ha Long on land” is a key tourist area in Vietnam, part of the Trang An Scenic Complex, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
To explore the beauty of Tam Coc – Bich Dong, visitors must take a boat along the poetic Ngo Dong River to see the ancient, mossy limestone mountains and the clear blue water. Most of the scenery here still has its pristine beauty. Therefore, there are many “unique, strange” jobs here that will make visitors curious and excited.
Rowing a boat by foot
Considered a “Ha Long on land”, in recent years, Tam Coc – Bich Dong has always been a famous tourist destination and attracts the most tourists in Ninh Binh province, especially foreign tourists. Coming to this land, in addition to relaxing to watch the rivers, mountains, clouds, and sky… visitors are also very excited by the image of rowing a boat by foot quite skillfully by the local people.
Due to the nature of visiting Tam Coc – Bich Dong, all of which are floating on the river, the boat rowing profession has also emerged since this tourist area was put into operation, helping people in Ninh Hai commune earn more income. The special thing is that the boat rowing team here does not belong to any individual but comes from most of the households in the commune.
To row a boat on the Ngo Dong River, households need to have a local resident, make their own boat, and be numbered by the Management Board. In turn, according to the number, all families in the commune take turns rowing boats to serve tourists. Therefore, when visiting Tam Coc – Bich Dong, tourists can easily see children, the elderly, and women performing this job with great skill.
When the boat leaves the dock, taking tourists to visit each point in the tourist area, from the upstream water, to places with many rocky rapids, or going through caves, the boat rowers still use their feet to control the boat to move on the water surface. The season exists because the round trip is about 16 km, all by boat, so rowing by hand would be very tiring; the local people use their feet to make it easier.
Taking photos, selling goods in shifts on the river
In addition to enjoying the scene of skillful rowing by foot, when visiting Tam Coc – Bich Dong, visitors can also witness other “unique, strange” jobs, such as taking photos and selling goods to make a living on the river. According to research, those who do business in photography in tourist areas must be registered and can charge by the hour or by the day, depending on the number of customers.
To avoid competition, the tourist management board has designated many locations along the Ngo Dong River for people to take photos. Each location usually has 2-3 photographers using boats to offer photos. According to regulations, when approaching the boat, photographers may photograph only with the tourists’ consent; otherwise, they will face severe penalties.
Therefore, along the Ngo Dong River, there are 5-7 photo spots, and everyone operates very professionally and is very friendly.
In addition to taking photos on the river, visitors on the journey to explore Tam Coc can also witness a market in the middle of the river. It is called a market, but it is actually a grocery store serving tourists with about 10 boats. This market is usually concentrated in a specific location near the end of the journey and sells a wide range of items, from snacks to flowers and local products.
The vendors on the river also have clear regulations on selling hours and days. When the time is up, these people will have to row their boats back to the dock to make room for the next group. Although the business is unstable on the river, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, the prices of the items sold here are not too high compared to the market price, so tourists are quite comfortable when stopping to explore and shop.
Coming to Tam Coc – Bich Dong, not only can you immerse yourself in nature and enjoy the fresh air of a peaceful river area, but you can also experience interesting river activities and witness “unique, strange” jobs, which will make tourists feel excited when coming to this land and its people.
Source: collected by An
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