Yiss Passport To Vietnam: Day 4 - 13th Jun

MAGNIFICENT MEKONG

Photos and Write-up by Delta Group (Sasi, Amirul, Asyidiq, Wafi and Afiz)

On the boat ride across the Mekong Delta, we observed that it is a very wide and huge river. The flow of the Mekong River is of an average speed and the water volume is high. The Delta is situated at the lower part of the river course. The length of the river is 4,880km and the area is 810,000km². The river runs through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and is the largest river in Asia.

The view of the Mekong Delta River

The Mekong River is used for transportation of food and people from one side to the other side of the river.

One of the uses of the river is to transport people.

We made use of the river to transport us to Thoi Son Island

The river also serves as a source of food for the fishing community.

We had this freshwater fish for lunch. It is known as the ‘standing’ Elephant-Ear Fish.

We were taught how to make a fish wrap using rice paper... Delicious...

UNIQUELY UNICORN ISLAND (THOI SON ISLET)

Photos and Write-up by Mangrove group (Sulaiman, Narahj Andy)

Upon arrival on the Thoi Son Islet, Sulaiman, Andy and me(Narahj) visited a shop that sells honey. The people rear bees to extract honey and it is one of the primary industries on the island. There, we got to taste natural honey mixed with pollen made by the Vietnamese. It was mentioned that the pollen was good for the liver. We also got to take some photos with a python. This actually attracted a lot of tourists who wanted to take a picture.

Director's Cut

Next, we visited the coconut candy factory and this was another primary industry at the Thoi Son Islet. This shop produced candies that are made from coconut milk. There are 4 steps to make these coconut candies. The first step was to peel the coconut shell so that we could obtain the fruit itself. The second step is to cut the fruit into half and we have to use a machine to grind the fruit so that it is easier to extract the juice. The third step was to cook the coconut juice with sugar and stir until it thickens. This took them around 30 min. After that we pour it in a rectangular container and let it cool and harden. The last step was to cut it into small squares shape and then they wrap them with rice paper.

We also visited the eco-tourism village which covered an area of 77.5 hectares with 7 functional areas. They are used for reception, aquatic sports area, open-air area for camping, convalescence area, eco garden area, craft village and Nam Bo (South Vietnam) village area

There are some shops that sell keychains, Vietnamese costumes and some tropical fruits such as dragon fruits, pineapple, bananas, jackfruits and papaya. We were given the opportunity to see and listen to the cultural music of Vietnamese performed by the natives. The music was relaxing and calmed the mind.

Last but not least, we rode on a sampan back to our ferry. The sampan ride is one of the tourist attractions in THOI SON ISLET. The sampan trip took us around 20 min. When we reached our ferry, the ferry took us back to My Tho.

Q: Suggest some ways that we can attract more tourists to visit Thoi Son Islet?

ANS:

Firstly, we can have set up water puppet show on the island. This is because the water puppet originated from the farmers who played with the water puppet in the river during their free time. This will help to attract the tourists because the water puppet shows the cultural aspect of Vietnam. Secondly, they can set up Phoenix Museum. This museum can showcase the history of the island and possible the fossil of a phoenix. This will attract the tourists because the tourists will want to learn more about the history of THOI SON ISLET.

I DOUBT YOU KNOW.... THE RICE BASKET OF VIETNAM

Photos and Write-up by SOYA BEAN group (Jeremy, Eunice , Alvin , Mark And Yu Quan)

Fun Facts about Vietnam’s Rice Cultivation

What is the process of rice cultivation in Vietnam?

1. The land is to be softened, by using buffalos to plough the land or using machine such as tractor to plough the land.

2. The seedling is to be kept in a nursery
3. When the seedling is about 10cm, it is transplanted to the main field. It will grow up to 20cm in 4 weeks.
5. The seedling is pumped with water once a week. Fertilisers are added to the plant to give nutrients for the plant.
6. This is done till the rice plant grows to a height of 40-50cm
7. The farmers will then harvest the rice field using sickles or combine harvestor.

I Doubt You Know!What are the difficulties faced by the farmers?

1. Fear of irregular climate

2. Pests and weeds attack on the rice fields

3. Natural Disasters

I Doubt You Know!

Green Revolution is practiced in Vietnam’s Farming System?

1. Green Revolution is practiced in Vietnam as the farmers to produce more crops.
2. The farmers used special seeds to grow rice. The seeds have a shorter growing periods. The farmers can harvest 3 yields per year.
3. The farmers uses chemical fertilisers to give nutrients to the rice plant.

3. The farmers use tractors rented from the Rice Cooperatives to help them to plough the rice fields, thus it helps to save time and labours.
4. The farmers also use water pumps to get water from the river to irrigate the land.
5. The farmers use combine harvestor where they rent from the Rice Cooperatives to help them to harvest the rice.

VIETNAM COLLECTIVISATION POLICY
BINH TAY RICE COOPERATIVE

Photos and Write-up by Tuk Tuk Group (Khairi, Mustaqim, Jazli and Amirudy)

As the years went by, Vietnam’s farming policies saw gradual changes. From 1975 to 1982, to 1982 to 1998, and finally to the present, Vietnam is now following the current policy of agriculture, in which each farmer can buy any amount of land, if they are able to afford to, and cultivate their own produce and output. Back in the past, Communist Vietnam was similar or on par with the USSR (Russia) in terms of their agricultural practices. Communist Russia had followed the Collectivisation policy. Following the policy, each farmer was given equal amount of land. Regardless of how much effort they put in, be it more or less than other farmers, each farmer will still receive the same amount of income like their neighbours. However, Vietnam has changed the policy to make its own. With that, the agricultural growth of Vietnam has been successful. One example is the Binh Tay Rice Cooperative group, consisting of around 1020 farmers. The cooperation had taken measures to increase the rate of rice production. This has allowed them to grow up to three crops in a year. Rice is no doubt a beneficial staple food for Vietnam and its people.