A young man from Vietnam's Mekong Delta has gone viral for his lightning-fast ability to scale tall areca palm trees. Within 40 seconds, he can climb, harvest a full bunch of areca nuts, and return to the ground with effortless agility.
A video clip capturing the impressive feat of a man climbing an areca palm with incredible speed has attracted 1.5 million views on TikTok within just five days of being posted.
In the footage, the man stands before a tree more than 10 meters tall. With only a simple rope made from a woven sack wrapped around his feet for support, he ascends and descends swiftly, harvesting an entire bunch of nuts in seconds.
In another moment, when two areca palms grow close together, he confidently swings from one tree to another, significantly cutting down the time needed to finish the job. His dexterity and agility have earned admiration and nervous excitement from viewers alike.
Comments flooded the post, with users writing: “You must be incredibly strong to climb like that”; “Calling him the monkey king is no exaggeration. He climbs faster than the eye can follow”; “I saw him swing from tree to tree. Definitely a 10 out of 10. Watching him climb those towering trees is like watching someone walk on the ground.”
The man in the video has been identified as Nguyen Hoang Bao, born in 1992 in Soc Trang and now living in Can Tho.
"Eat on the ground, work in the sky"
Bao has worked as an areca nut harvester for 17 years. Photo: Courtesy of Nguyen Hoang Bao
Speaking with VietNamNet, Bao shared that he has worked as an areca nut harvester for 17 years. This daily job has allowed him to support himself and his family.
His parents also worked in this profession. As a child, he accompanied them across the Mekong Delta's gardens. At the age of 16, he officially entered the trade, initially harvesting for hire and later moving into sourcing and trading fresh areca nuts once he established a stable supply network.
“I didn’t go to school for this. I just copied what my father did. Every day on the job is a day of training. At first it felt awkward, but over time, the skills came naturally,” Bao said.
The trees he climbs typically range from 7 to 15 meters tall, with some reaching as high as 18 meters. His only tool is a loop of rope made from old sacks. “I wrap the rope around my feet and use it to climb up and slide down. Each bunch of areca nuts weighs from 5 to 20 kilograms. I use one hand to hug the tree and the other to carry the nuts down,” he explained.
Bao climbs areca palms with remarkable speed and agility. Photo: Courtesy of Nguyen Hoang Bao
He spends about 40 seconds on each bunch. On average, he climbs around 100 trees a day, harvesting approximately one ton of areca nuts. In gardens where trees are close together, he often swings between them to save energy.
“Specifically, I harvest from 6 AM until about 11 or 12 PM. The rest of the day I look for gardens to buy from or deliver goods to wholesalers,” Bao added.
For harvesting, the pay is around 2,000 to 3,000 VND per kilogram, or roughly USD 2 to 3 per day per ton harvested. Since switching to buying and selling, his income has become more stable thanks to the profit margin between buying and selling prices, though it's still subject to market fluctuations.
“Some years, areca nuts are expensive, selling for about 70,000 to 80,000 VND (USD 2.75 to USD 3.15) per kilogram. Other years, prices drop to just a few thousand VND. This job’s earnings really depend on a lot of factors,” Bao shared.
On the upside, the work is consistent. Bao noted that peak season runs from July to September. Outside of that, supply dwindles, but different tree varieties ensure year-round work. Occasionally, he sources from northern provinces, though in recent years he’s mainly worked in the southern and southwestern regions.
Despite a stable income, the job is physically demanding and comes with risks. Climbing a hundred trees daily while carrying heavy bunches of nuts under the sun or in the rain takes a toll. “When I first started, I often had shoulder, arm, and foot pain. But over time, I got used to it,” he recalled.
In 17 years of working, he hasn’t had a single accident, thanks to carefully inspecting each tree before climbing. To determine when a bunch of areca nuts is ripe, he relies on the color, shape, firmness, and aroma of the fruit.
Bao plans to stay with this profession “until my legs are no longer quick and my hands no longer strong.” For him, this is an honest job that provides a stable income and allows him to take good care of his small family.
Vietnamnet.vn
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