An Giang (VNA) – Bathing in flooded fields during the annual flood season is a popular pastime in An Giang province’s border headwaters, offering visitors a glimpse of local riverine culture while opening up new tourism opportunities for the locality.
Joy amid vast floodwaters
At around 4pm daily, the field around Cong Bung Ren in Vinh Loi hamlet, Phu Huu commune, come alive with laughter as residents flock there to cool off, play in the water and take boat rides along the flood-control dyke built under the WB9 project.
Children splash around with friends while adults relax in the water and enjoy the fresh air. Many families bring food and drinks to spend the afternoon outdoors.
Nguyen Thuy Trang, a resident of Chau Doc ward who visited the area with her family, said the expansive waters, cool breeze and peaceful surroundings offered a refreshing change from familiar recreational destinations.
Nguyen Minh Tam, a local resident, often takes his grandchildren to the flooded fields to play and become familiar with the riverine environment. He stressed, however, that children must be closely supervised because water depths vary and some areas are dangerously deep.
Visitor numbers rise at weekends, with families and groups of friends coming from neighbouring areas. Some rent boats to explore the fields, while roadside vendors offer refreshments, snacks and life jackets. Boat trips cost around 20,000 VND (0.77 USD) per person, providing additional seasonal income for local residents.
The activity also evokes memories of generations who grew up with the annual floods. In the past, children would swim, row boats, catch fish, collect snails and gather wild vegetables. Racing banana-stem rafts and splashing in the field were among the simple pastimes that shaped childhood in the Mekong Delta.
Nguyen Huu Phong, a Phu Huu resident, recalled eagerly awaiting floodwaters after each summer-autumn rice harvest. He and his friends would rush to the field after school to play until late afternoon. Since closed dyke systems were built, inundation has become less frequent, making each return of the floodwaters a welcome opportunity to relive those memories.
Harnessing flood season’s value
Bathing in flooded fields is increasingly attracting visitors from outside the locality, adding to the appeal of the flood season in An Giang’s border headwaters.
Vo Van Dua, Vice Chairman of the Phu Huu commune People’s Committee, said the annual floods were closely linked to local livelihoods and culture. Floodwaters bring alluvial deposits, replenish aquatic resources and support the growth of wild vegetables and flowers. Fishing and foraging have long been part of life in the region.
Building on its natural landscape and local traditions, Phu Huu is exploring tourism experiences combining boat trips, rural activities and local produce. If properly organised, these offerings could diversify tourism products, create service-sector jobs and increase residents’ incomes.
Dua said tourism development must ensure safety and environmental protection while avoiding disruption to local production and daily life, and preserving the area’s distinctive landscape and cultural practices.
Water levels in some parts of Phu Huu have exceeded 1.3 metres. Local authorities have installed warning signs at hazardous locations and advised visitors to wear life jackets, avoid swimming or boating far from the banks, and ensure children remain under adult supervision. Caution is also necessary near sluice gates, spillways and areas with strong currents or fluctuating water levels.
Although the flood season lasts only a few months, bathing in flooded fields offers more than seasonal recreation. For residents of An Giang’s border headwaters, it is a way to strengthen community bonds, preserve childhood memories and share the distinctive riverine culture of the Mekong Delta with visitors.
The activity is emerging as a potential tourism product that connects the region’s natural landscape with its local traditions, creating new opportunities for sustainable tourism and improved livelihoods./.
