Man admired for superb coconut climbing skills in Vietnam’s Kien Giang Province
Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 17:25 GMT+7
Over the past many years, farmers in a hamlet in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam have had their coconut trees cleaned by a man with superexcellent tree climbing skills.
Locals in Can Ngon Hamlet in the province’s U Minh Thuong District have long admired Nguyen Van Nui, 40, for his outstanding skills of climbing up and down a coconut tree and moving from one tree to another smoothly, rapidly, and safely.
They often hire Nui to clean their coconut trees, including sprouts and fruits, to protect them from harmful insects.
Sometimes, they pay him extra money after watching his extraordinary performance.
|
|
| Nguyen Van Nui is seen breaking a fresh coconut after peeling a dried one in less than 30 seconds in this photo taken in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. |
Like a cat climbing an areca tree, Nui can move up and down the palms easily and spectacularly.
“Everybody here admires his outstanding coconut climbing," said Truong Hai Nho, a local farmer who hired Nui to clean his 20 coconut trees one day in mid-March.
"He climbs rapidly and skillfully.
"He can move down like a cat or by clinging on coconut leaves.
“Many pay him tips for such unique ‘qinggong’ performances."
While having his meal in a lunch box, Nui told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he had done many other jobs, such as a rice porter, fertilizer sprayer, and taxi motorbike driver, before engaging in coconut cleaning.
“I began working as a coconut cleaner when I was 14 or 15 years old," he recalled.
"Practice makes perfect.
"When I saw a cat climbing a coconut tree, I tried to imitate the animal’s movements and improve my skills over time."
The man said he got paid VND25,000 (US$1) for cleaning a coconut tree, but he would demand less from families facing financial difficulties.
|
|
| This image shows Nguyen Van Nui moving from one coconut tree to another at a distance of four meters easily in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. |
Coconut climbing is a dangerous and hard job, with climbers possibly falling or being stung by bees or bitten by ants, but Nui sees it as a normal vocation that helps him earn some VND500,000 ($22) per day.
He does not spend the amount alone but gives it to his mother to pay for his family’s needs.
In addition to his wonderful tree climbing ability, he can break a fresh coconut by hand or peel a dried one with his teeth rapidly, among other skills, to the admiration and excitement of viewers.
|
|
| Nguyen Van Nui moves down a coconut tree by clinging on the leaves skillfully in this photo taken in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. |
|
|
| This image shows Nguyen Van Nui cleaning a coconut tree to protect it from pests in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. |
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
