A man from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta has been dubbed a ‘Monkey King’ given his excellent tree climbing skill, which is essential for his job as a professional tree trimmer.

Residing in Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province, Pham Thanh Tung has been a tree trimmer for more than 27 years.

At the age of 50, Tung is not planning on retiring any time soon.

“I didn’t choose this job, it chose me," he said. 

"I will just keep working until nobody hires me."

As safety always comes first in this occupation, Tung has his own rules, planning and preparing everything carefully.

Before climbing any tree, Tung usually spends a long time calculating the direction of the fall.

This preparation sometimes takes longer than the trimming.

“I am blessed with this ability to come up with the fastest and safest way to trim or cut down a tree,” Tung elaborated.

The man is also very good at climbing trees with only a coil of rope and positioning himself as he chops off tree branches with a chainsaw.

He usually gets paid VND200,000-500,000 (US$9-22) for the job, but he sometimes receives very generous tips from his clients.

Many people in the locality who admire his flair have given him the nickname ‘Monkey King.’

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