Watch Rivers of Our Time The Red River Vietnam

The Red River is an important river that flows by North Vietnam. Foreigners may have heard of Vietnam famous water puppet performances which originated from the Red River Delta. They are historical records of the lifestyle of the Red River people in the past. In contrast, today, the Red River banks are characterized by the birds of modernity - The Cranes. They are the evidence of Vietnam's fast growing economy. Transport vessels meander along the river relentlessly, feeding the cranes with materials for constructing modern skyscrapers, bridges and other mega modern facilities. The Red River isn't just an important transportation route. Beneath the Red River, hidden in sight, are fuels for the growing nation. Sand. And we follow a sand miner who extracts sand out of the riverbed. For the sand miners, their seemingly simple routine ensures that the riverbed remains deep for bigger trade vessels to pass through, and keeps the cost of sand low for building their country. While the nation surges forward for developments, the Vietnamese sand miners, pay tribute and celebrate the River as their ancestors had for the past centuries. In the river town of Da Trach, the sand miners return to celebrate Chu Dong Tu Festival when a jar of Red River water is collected as holy water and placed on the altar for its devotees to worship.