The peaceful life and rustic landscapes of the Mekong Delta province Hau Giang emerge charmingly via the lens of photographer Le Tuan Anh. 

A family in Hoa Luu Commune of Vi Thanh Town gathers for a cozy New Year’s occasion. The picture, titled “The Warmth of Spring”, won the consolation prize at Hau Giang photo contest in 2019 and was selected for exhibition at the Vietnam Heritage photo competition in 2019.

The 25-year-old Anh, a native of Hau Giang, currently works as a teacher in the neighboring Can Tho City. The photo collection was captured during trips back to his hometown. 

On the way to school, two children pass through a rice field in Hoa Luu Commune. 

A woman picks dien dien or sesban flowers during flood season. From September to October, these flowers burst into bloom, painting the countryside brilliantly yellow. In Mekong Delta, sesban flowers commonly grow near ponds, rivers and dykes and are used to make soup that includes different kinds of fish, including catfish and perch.

A fisherman uses a large net tightened onto old bamboo slats to catch fish and shrimp during flood season. 

Unlike in central Vietnam where severe floods often result in death and destruction, flood season in the Mekong Delta is seen as a gift from nature that brings tons of fish into the paddy fields along with alluvial deposits to fertilize the next crop.

A man herds ducks on a pond in Tan Tien Commune of Vi Thanh Town.

Across Mekong Delta, free-range ducks are typically fed on rice to reduce costs, though this method holds the risk of disease outbreaks.

Vendors sell snakehead fish, perch, snakeskin gourami and other fish at Vi Thanh Market. 

According to local vendors, the market has existed for more than 10 years, specializing in local agricultural products. 

Vendors often squat or set up small chairs and goods within two to four square meters around themselves. Therefore, it is often dubbed the "squatting" market, showcasing a unique Mekong Delta trait.

A woman processes fish and washes vegetables from a floating house.

Tourists can enjoy don ca tai tu (southern folk music), a unique Mekong Delta custom rarely seen in other parts of Vietnam. 

Don ca tai tu was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2013. According to UNESCO, the folk music is an indispensable part of the spiritual activity and cultural heritage of the people of southern Vietnam. The music and songs evoke the people’s life and work on the land and rivers across the region. 

This photo depicts life at a coal-burning village in Tan Thanh Commune of Nga Bay Town. The profession of burning coal has existed here for more than 40 years.

Two men catch fish against a colorful water hyacinth background in Vi Thuy District. 

Children cross a river by boat to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival 2019 in Vinh Vien Commune, Long My District.

Photos by Le Tuan Anh