Ornamental fish breeding has been a popular Hanoian hobby for decades, but never has it been so expensive or rare

A fish tank containing arowana fish valued at thousands of dollars each at a house in Hanoi

Together with growing bonsai trees and bird keeping, ornamental fish breeding is one of Hanoian men’s favorite pastimes. The two villages of Nghi Tam and Yen Phu near West Lake have traditionally supplied the fish to other regions of Vietnam, and their breeders are considered the country’s experts.

From a simple pastime

According to Vu Van Quang, a 72-year-old ornamental fish lover in Quan Nhan District, almost all families in these two villages bred ornamental fish just 50 years ago.

“Lying besides the vast West Lake, which provides an abundant source of fresh water and food for the fish, this area was an advantageous place to develop the trade,” he said. “During the 1960s, the villagers here mainly lived on raising ornamental fish.”

Quang said he was once among their regular customers who came to look for new fish here often.

“The most popular fish at that time were small and colorful goldfish and angelfish,” he said. “But the villagers also created many other kinds of fish by cross-breeding.”

Though the trade used to bring in stable incomes for the villagers, it has gradually lost steam following the rapid urbanization of the capital. As Nghi Tam and Yen Phu villages became busy parts of Tay Ho District, locals began making more money building houses for rent. Thanks to their convenient location near the airy West Lake and city center, Nghi Tam and Yen Phu have become ideal places for foreign expatriates to live. As a result, fish are simply less important here now than they used to be.

“No fish can bring us US$4,000-5,000 a month,” said Tran Xuan Thanh in Yen Phu Village. “Now there are only about ten families still following the trade, including us.”

The middle-aged man – the third generation of fish breeders in his family – said that today he has turned to fish trading rather than breeding.

“As people’s living standards improve and they are open to world trends, our traditional fish varieties do not attract modern customers anymore,” Thanh explained.

“Moreover, our small-scale farms cannot compete with big ones in other neighboring countries like Thailand, Singapore or China, which are investing huge sums of money and employing high technology and modern methods to breed numerous kinds of beautiful fish.”

Another fish trader in the village, Quach Loi, added that there was not much land for them to breed fish on now. “Besides importing fish from foreign countries, we are sharing our experiences with breeders in neighboring localities like Hai Phong and Nam Dinh and then we buy baby fish from them,” he said. “Now we just trade fish and other accessories like fish food, tanks and aquatic plants. The most sought-after types now are flower horn and arowana, which we’ve mainly imported from China and Singapore.”

Feng shui

While Hanoians of the past considered fish keeping a pastime like keeping birds or raising bonsai, younger generations now expect more from their fish. They believe in feng shui principles that say the aquatic animals play an important role in bringing them a better life.

As such, most families, small or large, tend to reserve a place in their house for a fish tank. It can be a small pot with just a few tiny cheap fish, or a huge tank containing extremely valuable varieties.

People with big budgets have recently been buying arowana, popularly known as “dragon fish” or “king fish,” which cost from $1,000 up to $15,000 each. Like people in other Asian countries, Vietnamese people keep the fish in the hope it will bring them good luck and prosperity.

Truong Duc Tai on Lo Duc Street has owned a couple of arowana for two years. Tai said he has been keeping fish for about ten years but had never been as interested in a fish as he now is in arowana.

“I have loved arowana since I first saw the fish three years ago,” he said. “But at that time I couldn’t afford them. After a year trying to save money, I got this couple for nearly $6,000. This was the biggest sum of money I have ever spent on a hobby. But I will never regret it.”

Despite his busy work schedule, Tai still spares an hour or so every day for his fish. “Even when I come back home late, I have never forget to spend some time with them. They help me to release the stress of the day,” he said.

Phan Ngoc on Hoang Hoa Tham Street is a famous Hanoi fish keeper. Due to his love for the fish, he has given up his work as a teacher to open a fish shop at home.

“I love keeping fish and I use my whole front yard for fish tanks,” Ngoc said.

“This has become a regular place for my friends to come to watch the fish and exchange experiences. My friends encouraged me to open this fish shop.”

To meet the rising demand of fish lovers, Ngoc trades different subspecies of arowana from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. According to Ngoc, because of its high value, each dragon fish must have a certificate of origin in order to account for its breed and quality.

Being renowned for ornamental fish trading in Hanoi, Ngoc has spent tens of thousands of US dollars on the hobby. Ngoc even considers arowana an effective treatment for depression.

“For me, this type of fish can help bring up thoughts of nature, relaxation and energy.”

Source: Thanh Nien News