Tam Giang, the largest lagoon

      Thin fishing boats bob up and down in the water, nets thrown here and there. The breeze whispers soft and slight through the trees and casuarina surrounding Tam Giang Lagoon.
The 52-square-kilometer lagoon, considered the largest in Vietnam, is lined with crop fields, bridges, pagodas, churches and colorful temples.
Rich sunset colors drape the still surface of the lagoon as it reflects the evening sky.
The silhouettes of boats and their owners come ashore after a hard day’s work.
Many boat owners rent their boats out for short trips around the lagoon before dinner.
Several restaurants along the shore feature fresh and delicious local seafood.
The area’s steamed fish and boiled clams are great, but Tam Giang is really known for its Blue Crabs. The Blue Crabs in the lagoon are smaller than those in the sea, but their meat is sweeter and heartier. And they’re half the price.
The lagoon is the convergence point of three rivers – the Huong, Bo and O Lau – before they flow into the sea through the Thuan An estuary.
Many traditional craft villages can be reached by boat trips along the rivers. Via the Huong River, Dia Linh Hamlet in Huong Vinh Commune is worth a stop to visit the woodcarvers that have been plying their trade there for centuries.
Thuy Tu Village is characterized by its red-roofed houses, where villagers earn their living making tiles.
At An Thuan Village, visitors can watch workers make different flavored green rice flakes: ginger, sesame and peanut.
Travelers can also tour the Thai Duong Ha fishing village, where locals live a more traditional lifestyle and practice old rituals such as the Cau Ngu ceremony (in which fishermen pray for the best catch) and whale burials.
Tam Giang Lagoon is 15 km north of Hue Town along National Highway 1A.