Life on Water

Located in the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam, Ninh Binh's sprawling landscapes are comprised of limestone karsts, cavernous grottoes and winding waterways. Once the ancient capital of the country, the province now thrives on a growing tourism industry that attracts both domestic and foreign travelers.

But not everyone is touched by the golden arm of tourism. Many families in the province still live below the national poverty line, and many of the workers--both farmers and those in tourism fields--struggle each day to make enough money to get by.

At one of the province's most popular destinations, Tam Coc, the women workers spend all day in the hot sun taking tourists along the Ngo Dong River and through the rice fields, karst towers and caves that dominate the landscape. It's a hard life, working on the water each day from early morning until the sun falls behind the distant mountains. Many of these women also work their farmlands during the harvest season, and have families to support back in their villages.

My photographs will look to explore the waterways and rivers of the province, as well as the lives of the women that work along them.