Tam Giang - Cau Hai Lagoon system in Hue City is the largest brackish water ecosystem in Southeast Asia, stretching 68 km, covering a total water surface area of approximately 216 km2. The area is renowned for its poetic sunsets, rich biodiversity, and serves as a popular destination for eco-tourism, photography, and enjoying local seafood specialties.

I did not grow up in a family devoted solely to farming, yet my childhood held a clear and gentle chapter shaped by the cycles of rain and sun in my grandparents’ fields. Those years, and the memories they carry, have left a lasting mark, so that even now, I am stirred by an inexpressible emotion whenever I see farmers busily preparing for a new sowing season.

On the afternoon of June 13, Hue City Military Command and relevant units mobilized 200 soldiers to Thuy Tan commune (Huong Thuy town) to help local people harvest nearly 90 hectares of off-season rice that had been flooded due to the impact of Storm No.1.

On the 10-acre field of red chiem rice (a traditional red rice grown in brackish lowlands of Hue City, sown by April and harvested by July), each planting season requires 40 to 50 hired laborers, and the harvest stretches over several days. Left untended and unfertilized, the rice grows naturally under the generous sun and rain. Some call it “heaven’s rice” — a variety grown from the grace of Tam Giang’s waters.

At this time, many farmers organize harvesting and selling rice at night. The atmosphere of the countryside is vibrant and bustling with laughter in the sound of a good harvest...