After a night of fishing, catches of shrimp and fish are brought ashore, and women from the communities along Tam Giang Lagoon carry or transport the seafood to market to sell. Over the years, selling fish has become a means of livelihood and an integral part of daily life, giving the lagoon-side villages their distinctive character.

Early in the morning, in a three-bay house filled with sea air in Phuong Loc Village (Phu Vinh Commune), 73-year-old Tran Van Than, surrounded by bamboo baskets, miniature boats, and coracles, was moving his hands skillfully with thin bamboo strips. Having spent decades making a living from the sea, though his health no longer allows him to work at sea, his deep affection for his hometown’s sea lives on through every product he makes.

Ru Cha mangrove forest stands quietly like a sentinel guarding Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon system. Through countless seasons of storms and heavy rains, the ancient Cha trees have remained firmly rooted in the soil, embracing the surrounding villages, blocking waves, trapping sediment, and sustaining the unique ecosystem of the lower reaches of the Perfume River.

With no advance warning, a school of sergestid shrimps suddenly rides the tide close to shore, turning a stretch of sea red. In a rush, right after the acetes arrive, villagers along the sandy shore grab nets, baskets, and bowls and head into the sea to scoop them up. Regarded as a festival day for the fishing village, the day the sergestid shrimps arrive brings both a meaningful source of income and a lively, bustling atmosphere to coastal fishing communities.

Beyond generating a steady income for residents, the vibrant chrysanthemum gardens also pave the way to promote a model of community-based tourism tied to the unique landscape of Tam Giang Lagoon.

Within the cultural complex of Hue, if the system of palaces and royal tombs defines the face of an Imperial capital, the villages along the lagoon and coastline preserve the depth of community life. There, heritage does not lie dormant in the past but lives on in every festival season, every daily custom, and every belief tied to the natural environment. The Cau Ngu Festival of Thai Duong village, held once every three years in January at the Thuan An seaport, is precisely such a heritage - a vibrant cultural practice where community memory, maritime knowledge, and the will to survive have woven together into an enduring whole across hundreds of years.

On the morning of February 28 (the 12th day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Horse), at the Thai Duong Cultural Village Communal House in Thuan An Ward, the 2026 traditional Fish Worshipping (Cau Ngu) Festival officially opened in a solemn and vibrant atmosphere, attracting a large number of People, fishermen, and visitors.

That is the vast green casuarina forest that the people of Thai Duong Thuong village (formerly Hai Duong Commune, now part of Thuan An Ward, Hue City) planted decades ago to shield them from the winds, stop the sand, and protect the village. Amidst the vast sky and land, the casuarina trees grow lush and strong, becoming a sturdy shield, guarding the village from waves and winds, and the harshness of the sea.

Under the majestic roof of the Guol, amidst the resonant gongs of the festive season, the Co Tu people of Doi Village are steadily awakening the potential of community-based tourism. They are creating livelihoods right on their homeland while preserving and sharing the traditional cultural values of their village.

That is the early morning market of My Loi village, Vinh Loc commune. Before becoming part of today's Vinh Loc commune, My Loi belonged to Vinh My commune - a coastal plain, with the sea on one side and a lagoon on the other. It is indeed known as the only place in Hue where the locals have an accent similar to Quang region.

From a type of wild grass growing in waterlogged lowlands, the people of Pho Trach village have turned rush into hundreds of thousands of practical, beautiful and environmentally friendly handicrafts.