Bay Nui village in the southern province of An Giang is famous for some natural tonics that are said to help improve virility.

Young cicadas very popular

Several people have rushed to Tinh Bien border market in Tinh Bien District to buy young cicadas, master termites and bo cui, an insect belonging to beetle species.

In order to meet rising demand for these “tonics”, several local residents in Bay Nui have been living on hunting these insects uncontrollably.

Young cicadas become favourite

Several species of insects in Bay Nui Village are said to increase virility, creating a market to breed and sell them.

N.C.L, an owner of a shop that sells such insects in Tinh Bien said, “Bay Nui village is known for the high-quality of its young cicadas."

Duy, who lives in Tinh Bien Township, searches for these cicadas in his garden. After catching one he said, "This one is going to mature soon, so it is a little bigger than the ones that live a below the ground. They often stay in small holes until they mature."

Termite Viagra

According to Mr. L, \'queen termites\' rank among the most sought after insects for virility.

They are widely sold at Tinh Bien market for between VND15,000-VND40,000 (USD0.7-1.93), depending on their size. These insects are often soaked in alcohol. A an alcohol pot containing 10 \'queen termites\' is priced at VND400,000 (USD19.3).

Tu Cuong, an experienced insect hunter on Bay Nui’s Dai Nam Gieng Mountain, said “Termites can often be found at the feet of mountains or hillsides as they prefer humid places. Each termite nest contains thousands of termites who all work to feed the \'queen\'.”

Bo cui

Several traders in Tinh Bien market sell bo cui, promising special good effects.

One young man said, “A woman in Long Xuyen wanted to buy these insects for her husband. She bought a pot of alcohol containing 50 bo cui, along with 50 more just in case. Some months later she came back to the market to buy some more, which she planned to sell to other women in her hometown."

Queen termites are widely hunted

Bo cui