TITLE: HARVESTING OCEAN PROSPERITY

Despite the freezing weather, many people in the coastal fishing villages of Quang Ngai brave the waves to harvest seaweed. Every year during the seaweed season, the rocky shores along the coast become bustling with people collecting "ocean prosperity" during the days when they don't venture out to sea.

According to local residents, the seaweed season typically begins from the 11th month to the end of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. The seaweed usually grows during winter, when there is rain and large waves that cover the rocks with seawater. The rocky areas along the coastline are slippery, rugged, and uneven so harvesting seaweed must be extremely cautious to avoid accidents. To gather a large amount of seaweed, they have to go to the edge of the waves, as collecting near the shore yields less, while venturing too far means encountering slippery rocks.

Furthermore, the waves are always ready to "attack" them at any time. They use their hands to scrape the roots of the seaweed while constantly keeping an eye on the sea to watch out for dangers. Any momentary lapse in concentration can result in paying with their own lives.

AUTHOR: Alex Cao (Viet Nam)