HỘI AN, Vietnam — It is round, it is woven from bamboo, and yes, it is a boat. BNNO Travel visited Cẩm Thanh, near Hội An, on November 1, 2026, to ride the thúng chai, Vietnam's famous bamboo basket boat.
At a glance
- What: the thúng chai, a round bamboo basket boat
- Where: Cẩm Thanh, near Hội An, Vietnam
- Then: used for generations by fishermen for fishing and for moving through shallow coastal waters
- Now: local boatmen paddle visitors through the nipa coconut waterways
- The fun part: the boatmen paddle them, race them, and even spin them like a carnival ride
- Visited: November 1, 2026
A Boat That Says It Is a Basket
For generations, fishermen used these lightweight round boats for fishing and for moving through shallow coastal waters.
One popular story about the boat's shape goes back to French colonial rule. As the story is told, ordinary boats were taxed, so clever Vietnamese fishermen said, in effect, "Fine… this is not a boat. It's a basket!"
Spinning Through the Nipa Palms of Cẩm Thanh
Today the tradition lives on in Cẩm Thanh, where local boatmen paddle visitors through the nipa coconut waterways. They paddle the boats, race them, and even spin them like a carnival ride.
"Simple bamboo basket? Not anymore," BNNO Travel said from Hội An. "This is history, fishing culture, and Vietnamese ingenuity… floating on water."
Video/Photos: BNNO Travel