Despite the harsh conditions and unstable income, many families remain devoted to the traditional trade that has sustained generations for decades.
From early morning, the salt fields in Hoa Loc are already bustling with activity. With outdoor temperatures at times reaching 40 degrees Celsius, farmers patiently channel seawater into evaporation ponds, dry the fields and collect crystallized salt under the blazing sky.
Le Van Thuan, 72, who has spent more than four decades working in the salt industry, said salt farming depends entirely on the weather.
Sunny days are both an opportunity and a challenge, forcing farmers to stay on the fields from dawn until late afternoon to maximize production.
“This job is extremely hard. The hotter the sun gets, the longer we have to stay outside,” Thuan said. “The whiter the salt becomes, the darker our skin gets.”
Across the vast salt fields stretching over dozens of hectares, the sight of workers wearing conical hats and dragging wooden salt rakes across the shimmering white surface has become deeply familiar.
Producing quality salt requires a long and meticulous process. Farmers must first guide seawater into the fields, wait for evaporation and crystallization, then carefully gather the salt by hand. Every stage demands experience, patience and physical endurance.
According to local residents, salt prices have fluctuated heavily in recent years, with periods of sharp decline significantly affecting household incomes.
Even so, many families continue to hold onto the profession because it remains their primary source of livelihood.
A life shaped by heat and salt
For many salt farmers in Hoa Loc, extreme heat is not simply part of the job – it is the very condition that determines whether a harvest succeeds.
To cope with the relentless sunlight, workers cover their heads and faces with towels and layers of cloth while spending hours exposed to the intense heat reflected from the salt fields.
Leading seawater into the fields is considered one of the most exhausting stages of production, requiring workers to repeatedly walk long distances under direct sunlight.
Others carefully level and repair the field surfaces to ensure seawater flows evenly into the crystallization ponds.
Although modern industries and urban migration have drawn many younger workers away from traditional trades, the salt fields in Hoa Loc still remain active during the peak dry season.
For older generations especially, salt farming is more than just labor – it is a way of life deeply tied to local identity and family history.
Salt fields in Hoa Loc commune, Thanh Hoa province.
Farmers work under the blazing sun to harvest salt.
Despite unstable salt prices, many families continue to stay with the traditional trade.
Salt farmers spend long hours working under extreme heat to produce each batch of salt.
Workers cover their heads and faces to cope with the intense sunlight.
Farmers prepare and level the fields before channeling seawater into crystallization ponds.
Le Duong