Picking wild bamboo shoots

Wild bamboo shoots are in season in Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province. From early morning every day, ethnic minority people in bare feet cross over ten kilometers up hill and down dale to pick nice bamboo shoots in forests...

Wild bamboo shoots are in season in Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province . From early morning every day, ethnic minority people in bare feet cross over ten kilometers up hill and down dale to pick nice bamboo shoots in forests. After a hard-working day, each person harvests a papoose of fresh bamboo shoots weighing about 20 kilograms and earning them about VND40,000 – VND50,000 (equivalent to USD2).

Following the steps of bamboo shoot pickers in Giang Bien Hamlet, Son Thai Commune to forest one day, we understood thoroughly the hard livelihood of the ethnic minority people here.

Women go into forest from early morning.

Sharpening knives in rest before going over a long slope.

Ca Doi cutting bamboo shoot

Ma Nga, 60 years old, collecting bamboo shoots into her papoose.

Only spring water for lunch.

Carrying heavy papoose of bamboo shoots home.

Short break after two hours of walking in forest roads and before climbing up to a hill.

Dried bamboo shoot is worth up to VND160,000/kg but few people can dry them because it takes a long time. Most of them sell fresh bamboo shoots for money to buy rice for daily meals.

T.T