For the Freshest Fish of the Day, Head to Hội An's Coast Before Sunrise

The alarm goes off at 3am. By 3:30am, scooters laden with empty crates and baskets are already moving through the dark lanes and sandy passages towards Hội An's coast. Long before the old town wakes, the beaches along the shore are coming alive with engines, head torches, waves, and fishermen preparing to return to land. Thankfully, coffee is readily available almost anywhere.

A woman walks the shoreline before sunrise as fishing boats wait offshore near Hội An.

This is a different side of Hội An and its surrounding region, away from the lanterns and Instagram cafés, from the topless tourists and coconut boat rides. Here, the coastline wakes early. Boats return through rough surf, while buyers wait eagerly in the water, ready to pull the morning catch onto the sand.

Local fishermen arriving on shore and are pretty pleased about it.

Fishermen haul a coracle through heavy surf at sunrise on the coast.

The sea controls everything here. Timing is everything. Boats wait beyond the breakwaters before committing smaller coracles to the shore. Crews and buyers alike jump into the surf to steady them, rushing the catch in baskets and sacks to the shoreline.

Women await the arrival of the fishing boats from deeper waters offshore.

For photographers, that unpredictability and almost constant action is what makes mornings like these so rewarding. No two mornings are the same, and the conditions change minute by minute as the light slowly illuminates the sky before it reaches the shoreline.

Buyers rush into the water as boats arrive with the morning catch.

A woman carries the squid she has purchased to sell at market.

As daylight reaches the beach, the shoreline becomes a temporary seafood market. People crowd round and jostle for position as impromptu auctions take place. Fish are sorted directly beside the water while traders move quickly between boats, baskets, and waiting scooters. There is no performance to it. People are working against time, tide, and heat before the sun fully rises.

Local vendors crowd around the morning catch as simultaneous auctions hurriedly take place.

Crates arrive at market.

Unloading the fresh catch at the market.

One of the things I enjoy most about photographing these mornings is how connected everything feels to the people around you and the sea itself. The surf shapes the pace of the market, the movement of the boats, and the rhythm of everyone working along the shoreline. Just be ready to get into the waves. It helps. I promise.

Sardines brought ashore.

Keeping the books correct as the market begins to slow.

Further along the coast and river mouths, the morning continues as catches are unloaded and sorted before heading inland towards local markets and restaurants across the region.

Negotiations tend to ramp up in intensity as the morning gets lighter.

Ongoing negotiations over the fresh catch.

Preparing squid for transport to market.

Freshly caught sardines.

For visitors wanting to experience a more local side of Hội An, these fishing beaches offer something entirely different from the old town. The mornings are raw, fast-moving, and shaped entirely by offshore conditions.

Fishermen return to shore after a night at sea.

Pete Walls is a Hội An-based photographer. To learn more about his photography practice and tours, visit his website here.