Boats offer lifeline to waterlogged Hoi An

By Huynh Phuong October 22, 2020 | 12:15 am PT

With ancient town Hoi An submerged under floodwater following prolonged heavy rains, boats have become the main means of transport locally.

Prolonged torrential rains and water discharges from upstream hydropower reservoirs have caused many streets in downtown Hoi An Town severely submerged.in mid-October.Two photographers Phan Vu Trong and Do Anh Vu, residents of Hoi An, captured photos unveiling the picture of local residents’ life during the flooding season with boats becoming a main means of transport in the town.

Prolonged torrential rains and water discharge from upstream hydropower reservoirs have submerged many streets in downtown Hoi An mid-October.
Local lensmen Phan Vu Trong and Do Anh Vu managed to capture daily life in the town, with boats featuring as the main means of public transport.

A boat and kayaks pass along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street near the Museum of Folklore on October 8.

Boats are moored near Hoi An Market at the intersection of Tran Phu and Tran Quy Cap streets on October 12.

A group of foreigners experience flooded Hoi An Town by boat.
Nearly every household in Hoi An’s low-lying districts, including Cam Kim and An Hoi, has a boat stored on the roof in preparation for the annual flood season.

Local residents in Hoi An earned less income from boat tours than previous years as tourists were mainly Vietnamese and some foreign tourists still stranded in Hoi An due to the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic. All tourism activities in Hoi An have been suspended since early October following heavy rains and severe flooding . Tourism in the popular tourist town had only just resumed in early September following a pause due to the second Covid-19 outbreak that hit the country in late July.

All tourist activities in Hoi An have been suspended since early October following heavy rains and severe flooding.
Tourism in the town had only resumed in early September following a pause due to the second Covid-19 outbreak wave that hit the country in late July.

Charging about VND100,000 ($4.3) per person, locals often ferry tourists along Bach Dang, Hoang Van Thu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Tran Phu, Phan Chau Trinh streets or across the Hoai River to Nguyen Phuc Chu and Nguyen Phuc Nguyen streets.
Boat rides have grown in popularity in the annual flood season, which occurs between late October and January.

Local children have a splash on flooded Hoang Van Thu Street after floodwaters rose again on October 17.

Bach Dang Street near Pagoda Bridge, a symbol of Hoi An, was submerged under 0.5 meters of water on October 11.
For the last two weeks, central Vietnam has been struck by severe floods and landslides triggered by heavy, long-lasting rains. At least 114 people had died in the region by the end of Wednesday, according to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.
In Hoi An, floodwater started to rise between October 8-12 and then receded slowly but rose again on October 17-18.

A father carries his son along flooded Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.