Basket Boat is a unique boat only belonging to central Vietnam. In the beautiful Vietnamese language, it is widely known as Thuyen Thung-the image attached to the traditional coastal life of the fishermen. It performs mostly as a means of transportation for the central Vietnamese coastal cities. If visitors wish to get a taste of Vietnam’s vibrant seaside culture, a basket boat trip is a “must-try” choice you would never regret experiencing.

Origins: “Born as a Rescuer”

According to the locals of Central Vietnam, the basket boat was a true “Marine Hero” in Vietnam during the French colonial period, when all marine careers in Vietnam were at risk due to the high boat tax imposed by the French. Vietnamese fishermen, who already struggled with poor living incomes, were concerned to face the high tax. The true emergency had come.

During the worst possible times, the “treasure” basket boats were finally discovered, thanks to the central Vietnamese creativity. This serves as the brightest hope for the fishermen when they can actively use basket boats (or Thuyen Thung) as an active means of transportation while still avoiding taxes.

Carry Vietnam’s Coastal Cultural Values

The basket boat is a representation of the day-to-day existence of Vietnamese coastal fishing villages. The basket boat’s most well-known application is to supply fishing activities with the freshest seafood. In addition to being used as a lifeboat in marine emergencies, basket boats are also an effective method for transporting light-weighted products between central coastal communities.

One of the appealing competitions that draw a lot of participants in nearby village associations is the Competition in Basket Boat racing. With a long history of human companions, the basket boat has naturally become a real close friend of the Vietnamese central locals.

The basket boat is a representation of fishermen’s independence and creativity. Fishermen who possess basket boats may be able to work freely and support themselves. In many cases, thanks in part to the basket boat, fishing has become a family business and passed down through future generations.

5 Steps to Form An Amazing Basket Boat

Making a basket boat is a meticulous operation that requires specialists with high levels of technical proficiency. To create a high-quality boat, different craftsmen who specialize in constructing basket boats must collaborate together. The artisan will prepare the following materials before beginning: the bamboo (which needs to be straight and free of borers), the rim press tool, water-resistant oil, cow dung, and a little amount of wire rope.

The first step is to create bamboo spokes. A total of 25 solid bamboos are broken into smaller pieces, dried, and trimmed. Through skillful hands, the bamboo spokes are peeled equally and beautifully.

It takes 600 bamboo slats to knit a basket boat, and every spoke is guaranteed to be soft on the outside and hard on the inside.

Since there are currently no machines to assist with basket boat manufacture, the majority of bamboo spokes are still knit by hand, which requires the high-skilled expertise of trained craftsmen.

After knitting, the process continues with hammering wooden poles into a tight circle on the ground to form a basket boat. Then, center the bamboo sheet over the wooden stakes that have been circled.

After ensuring uniform alignment, the worker forces the boat’s rim into place and then uses a wire rope to attach the rim and bamboo spokes. 

In the last phase, to prevent water from leaking through the spokes, the craftsmen will cover both sides of the boat with cow dung distributed over the bottom, plug the holes, and let it cure in the sun. When the first dung layer dries, the workers continue to apply another layer until it becomes thick.

When cow dung dries, oat oil – a water-resistant material is brushed on. This stage typically takes four days and four rounds of hard work in the scorching sun. This is one of the most crucial secrets to guaranteeing the durability of the boat.

The Vietnamese basket boat is finally finished after 12 days of diligent work, and ready to freely sail on the Vietnam coastline.

A Basket Boat Exhibition You Should Not Miss

Tourists who are eager to see the Central Vietnamese culture should not forgo the beauty of basket boats. From the coastline side of Da Nang City to the South Central provinces is the main place that appears the majority of basket boats, accompany by the activities of marine labor. 

If you attempt to search for a higher artistic view, Vietnam will be grateful to introduce the Basket Boat Road at Tam Thanh mural village (Quang Nam), which includes an estimated 100 painted basket boats.

The basket boat road is planned to be located along the coast at 3.7 km long, forming a unique landscape area displaying artworks embedded in people’s living spaces. Famous artisans, painters, and local people have painted on 35 basket boats donated and purchased by local people.

According to some artists, painting on a basket boat is challenging since it lacks a flat surface. Also, the subject and content must be selected to fit the curve of the boat. Usually, the designs on the basket boat show simple subjects and imagery that are relevant to fishermen’s daily culture, such as shrimp and fish, sea, or morning glory,..

Excitement Creator: Not a Roller Coaster, “Basket Boat Ride” is Your Real Thrill Maker.

Several international visitors, in addition to Vietnamese, are eager to compete in the exhilarating game “Chaos with the Basket Boat.”

Visitors are drawn to Basket Boat not only for the peaceful setting in which to explore Vietnamese nature but also for the chance to challenge themselves in the shaking basket. When the expert rower “shakes” the boat, he will make you forget entirely about the typical roller coaster since the sway of the boat is chaotic enough to create horror and dizziness for you.  The most popular type of tourist attraction is indeed this one! 

Even at one point, this game used to get viral on social media. Miss Korea Pacific Han So Won also had a “memorable life” event in 2019 when she was unintentionally blown from a basket boat while testing the game out in the Bay Mau Coconut Forest (Hoi An). This funny scenario has demonstrated the distinctive sensation that the basket boat game offers.