The lives of local fishers depend heavily on the weather. Some trips end with boats returning with holds full of fish and shrimp. On other days, rough seas bring meagre catches, and a whole night’s work may barely cover the cost of the journey.

Even so, local people continue to make their living from the sea, which has become an inseparable part of their lives.

Deep lines etched into weathered faces, hands hardened by years of hauling nets and hurried footsteps across the sand have long been familiar sights along this coast. The sea provides a living, but it also teaches patience and perseverance in the face of nature’s unpredictability.

In recent years, Tam Tiến fish market has become more than a trading place for local residents. Growing numbers of tourists, photographers and visitors seeking authentic local experiences arrive before sunrise to witness the daily rhythm of this coastal fishing community.

In the first light of dawn, foreign visitors can often be seen standing on the beach, carefully capturing boats arriving ashore, fishers unloading their catch and transactions taking place at the water’s edge.

What draws them to Tam Tiến is not large-scale tourism infrastructure or carefully staged services. The market’s appeal lies in its simplest, most ordinary moments.

It is the sight of the sun slowly rising over the sea, boats returning one after another following a long night offshore, and the laughter of fishers after a successful trip. Above all, it is found in the warmth and unaffected simplicity of people whose lives have always been closely tied to the ocean.

The market begins to bustle at around 4am each day, when boats return from overnight fishing trips. Trading takes place quickly and begins to wind down after 6am as the sun rises higher. VNA/VNS Photos

The market begins to bustle at around 4am each day, when boats return from overnight fishing trips. Trading takes place quickly and begins to wind down after 6am as the sun rises higher.

Tam Tiến fish market operates mainly during the summer fishing season, which generally lasts from April to September. It closes during the stormy season from October onwards, when rough seas prevent boats from going out.

When the boats are about 200 metres offshore, fishers transfer their catch to coracles to bring it to the beach.

Tam Tiến fish market offers a wide range of seafood, including tuna, scad, anchovies, squid and blue swimming crabs.

A wide variety of freshly caught seafood is sold at Tam Tiến fish market, from tuna and scad to anchovies, squid and blue swimming crabs.

Fresh tuna, scad, anchovies, squid and blue swimming crabs are among the many types of seafood available at Tam Tiến fish market.

The market is filled with an assortment of freshly caught tuna, scad, anchovies, squid and blue swimming crabs.

The selection varies according to the day’s catch, with tuna, scad, anchovies, squid and blue swimming crabs among the seafood sold at the market.

More than a place for seafood trading, Tam Tiến fish market offers a vivid glimpse into the daily life of the coastal community.

Tam Tiến fish market captures the rhythms of daily life in the local fishing community.

Early-morning trading at Tam Tiến fish market provides a vivid picture of life in the coastal community.

For local residents, the sea is more than a source of seafood. It has provided a livelihood for generations.

Generations of local families have depended on the sea for their livelihoods.

Tam Tiến fish market bustles with activity.