From 1 a.m. to 11 a.m each day, 10 tons of fish are boiled at a market in coastal Binh Dinh Province. 

Next to Ham Tu Fishing Wharf in Quy Nhon Town, central Binh Dinh Province, boiling fresh fishes has been a livelihood of more than 20 households for three decades. Nguyen Thi Thanhs family is one of them, collecting fishes at the wharf after midnight and preparing them by cleaning and boiling before selling to other. 

Fish including mackerel and anchovies are gutted before being boiled in scalding water.

Like fishermen, who only go ashore during the Lunar New Year holiday, locals at Hai Cang Market have little free time as abundant fish and squid have to be frozen or cooked straight away.

Ovens fed wood or charcoal reach temperatures between 50 to 70 degrees Celsius.

Marinated with salt, fish are usually boiled for an ideal five minutes, dependent on type and size. 

"Every day, my two sisters and I burn our ovens from 1 a.m. to 11 a.m., processing around 500 kilograms of fish and squid. The price of small squid are VND180,000 ($7.8) per kilogram, and VND30-60,000 ($1.3-2.6) for fish," said Nguyen Thi Thanh, 59, boasting 29 years of experience.

In Hai Cang Market, only one household boils squid.

"We have been busy the last 10 days. During the social distancing period the workload dropped to only 20 percent since demand fell," Ha Anh Tuan said, adding they boiled over 50 kilograms of fish during semi-lockdown.

Some families hire additional workers to increase productivity, most earning up to VND200,000 ($87) per day.

Fish are doused with cold water to prepare them for the freezer.

Boiled fish are distributed as far as the Central Highlands.

On average, Hai Cang Market processes 10 tons of fish, delivered to various provinces.