Photograph of the week: Salt harvesting, Hon Khoi Salt Fields, Vietnam

Every year Hon Khoi Salt Fields produces around 737,000 tons of salt. Or perhaps we should say, Hon Khoi Salt Fields yields 737,000 tons of salt. For it’s actually the hard-working, mostly middle-aged women who toil on said fields from 4am to 9am every morning, January to June, who are responsible for production.

Interestingly, while many tourists know Vietnam only for its white sandy beaches, tropical climate, and friendly, resilient people, it’s these very things that are so indispensable to a successful salt harvest, and which contribute to Vietnam’s thriving salt industry. You only have to visit Hon Khoi to see the truth in this.

Located about 45km from Nha Trang City, Hon Khoi Salt Fields is one of the largest salt fields in Vietnam. Here, as mentioned, between the months of January and June, when the summer heat is conducive to salt harvesting (with temperatures rising as high as 40°C), you will find mountains of natural salt that…