The floating season experiential festival kicked off on Sept. 13 in Binh Hoa Ward, Hong Ngu.
Locals and visitors had the opportunity to navigate longtail motorized boats across the vast, submerged fields, enjoy local specialties such as snails, crabs, and traditional rice cakes, and participate in lively folk games.
Early in the morning, locals traveled by boats to the event site.
Le Van Phuoc, who lives nearby, took the opportunity to steer his boat out to join the festivities and offer rides to visitors eager to cruise across the flooded fields.
He carried 4-5 passengers per trip for VND20,000 (US$0.80) per person.
"The event is lively and crowded this year, giving locals a chance to earn extra income," he said.
Taking a loop around the flooded fields, many visitors jumped into the water to swim and have fun.
By the beginning of the eighth lunar month, which fell on the second week of September this year, floodwaters had risen by about a meter.
Although the water level has not yet peaked, it is deep enough for people to comfortably enjoy themselves in the fields.
At around 9 a.m., organizers kicked off a 150-meter race between teams representing 15 local neighborhoods, the ward people's committee, and other agencies.
Toward noon, organizers released ducks into the fields for visitors and locals to catch and hunt for eggs.
Locals lit up with joy as they joined in the contests, which were open to everyone without any participant limits.
Huynh Thi Lam, a teacher at Huong Duong Kindergarten, along with her colleagues, sold lotus flowers and a variety of traditional cakes to visitors.
In what was their second year at the festival, the teachers' group put in extra care in preparing their products and arrived early at the market.
"Even though there was rain this morning, a huge crowd of locals and visitors turned up. It feels like the whole of Hong Ngu Ward is here," Lam said.
Nguyen Thanh Thuy and her friends rowed their boat to take in the floating season scenery.
"Seeing the floating season brings back so many fond memories. These are all familiar images from my childhood," she said.
The floating season is a familiar part of daily life for people in the Mekong Delta.
When water flows downstream from the upper Mekong River, fields around the headwaters are gradually inundated, bringing rich alluvium, abundant fish and shrimp, and a variety of wild aquatic vegetables.
Locals take advantage of the floodwaters to fish, cast nets, pick dien dien flowers, a seasonal delicacy unique to this time of year, and harvest natural produce.
The rising water level also changes their daily routines and ways of getting around.
