VietNamNet Bridge - Families in the village of Thuy Tram (in Tuy Loc commune in Phu Tho province) are raising red carps in ponds to prepare for lunar new year.

From the 19th to 21st day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, villagers do only one thing: catch red carps from ponds for the Day of the Kitchen God.

Baby carps were placed in the pond six months ago. They were fed with algae, plankton and bran. The price for a baby fish is only VND100.

Only after six months, when they dry the pond will the breeders know how many fish they have. This couple has two ponds and they have harvested 100kg, about 5,000 fish.

After being caught from the pond, fish are released into tanks. They will not be fed for two days because they could die during the transportation process if they are full.

Of 564 households in Thuy Tram Village, 470 people raise red carps.

Some families in the village have become fish traders. Ha Cong Duc, 40, has collected three tons of carps this year.

The price for red carps at Thuy Tram Village is between VND80,000-VND100,000 per kilo ($4-5).

Carps are put into plastic bags, then oxygen is pumped inside and they are transported to other provinces.

The villagers carry red carps by motorbike to other provinces to sell.

After red carps are harvested, the locals will raise other kinds of fish. This June, they will resume raising red carps. This is a traditional job which brings an income of VND10-VND20 million ($500-1,000) per year for each family.

The Kitchen God is the most important of a plethora of domestic gods that protect the hearth and family. It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before the lunar New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on the Kitchen God's yearly report.

This couple is drying out their pond to catch red carps.                                             All four people in this family also catch fish. For Thuy Tram villagers, harvesting fish is a chance for family fun.

VNE