VietNamNet Bridge - In everyday life, stilts help people in Quan Vinh Village, Nam Dinh Province, to earn their living and people in Jun Village in Gia Lai province to travel in the flood season.

Quan Vinh Village

Walking on stilts to catch oysters catches the attention of many foreign visitors. Photo: namdinh.edu.vn

Stilts used to be the helpful tool for people in fishing villages in Vietnam to wade in the sea to catch fish. But when boats became popular, stilts were gradually forgotten and only used in a number of traditional festivals. However, in Quan Vinh village, Nghia Thang Commune, Nghia Hung District, Nam Dinh Province, walking on stilts is still very popular.

Visiting Quan Vinh, you will be surprised and feel like getting lost in a strange land with people walking on stilts. All villages can walk on stilts very skillfully. Used to wade in the sea, the shortest “legs” are at least 1.5 m high and up to 3-4m high for the longest.

To make good "legs," local people choose long, straight bamboos to soak into ponds for a year, then hang them in the kitchen until soot turns their color into brown to make stilts.

Seeking Quan Vinh people walking on stilts like walking on their real feet, many would think that it is simple, but in fact they have to practice for a long time. These "legs" are used to wade in water to catch fish and to play games at traditional festivals.

Locals can play badminton, football, swinging, fencing and other sports on stilts like the real circus artists.

Jun Village

Contrary to the fishermen of Quan Vinh village, stilts are used by people of Jun Village in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak during rainy days or to step on houses on stilts. Today, when muddy roads are gradually replaced by concrete roads, stilts are also disappearing.

However, the village of Jun in Yang Bac commune, Dak Po district, Gia Lai province is an exception. Stilts like the second legs of Jun villagers to wade through muddy roads and to dance “xoang” (traditional dance) in festivals. Many people are surprised seeing the villagers walking on stilts to hang clothes to clothes-lines, to run in running competitions and to play soccer.

Jun Village's kids walk on stilts.

The small village with beautiful houses on stilts are always funny with the laughing sound of kids who are practicing on stilts. Falling and falling, the kids persist in walking slowly, step by step on stilts. Over time, the steps get faster and faster, from walking to running.

Although the stilts used by Jun villagers are not as high as in Quan Vinh village, it is more difficult to walk on stilts here because the ground is very steep.

Pha Le