The land of the Central Highlands has not only the sun, the wind, the straight lines of rubber at the foothills or the ripe red coffee fields, but also the extremely attractive and interesting indigenous culture. However, over time, the community culture of the Central Highlands ethnic groups is gradually disappearing.
In order to be able to preserve and retain the distinctive features of the Central Highlands, it is necessary for people who love national culture and sacrifice personal interests to transmit community spiritual values like Mr. Dinh A Ngui (K’ village) Giang, Kong Long Khong commune, K’bang district).
Community Connection
Referring to A Ngu, people in the field of culture and tourism of Gia Lai province are not unknown. In the second largest province in the country, to connect geographically and people to tourism is a difficult thing, even the local government is still confused and has not found a suitable direction. But there appeared a hospitable Bahnar ethnic, hiding in his heart a strong love for Bahnar culture and national identity.
Witnessing the fading of spiritual values of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands, the Bahnar young man had an idea of combining tourism development and community culture preservation, since then, while earning more income for themselves and for the people in the region, while preserving the Bahnar ethnic culture.
From the years 2016-2017, A Ngui worked as an officer of the K’bang District Sports and Culture Center while learning experiences through each visit to other provinces that also tend to develop tourism such as Gia Lai. Hybrid in all parts of the country.
From the ideas available, A Ngu consulted the village elders, gathered the villagers of K’giang, and assigned tasks to each group such as women re-establishing weaving groups, brewing can wine, cuisine, and men became successful. set up knitting groups, gongs… The villagers were busy with A Ngu to prepare everything like a festival.
Not having money to make big ideas, A Ngu mobilized young people in the village to clear their land to build a house on stilts and trees, and then form a homestay accommodation for tourists.
The gong teams taught by A Ngu by artisans to preserve the national culture are the highlight of attracting tourists to A Ngu homestay. (Photo: Hong Diep/VNA)Asking permission from the forest rangers and forest protection forces of K’bang and A Ngu districts to lead tours to explore the forest, K50 waterfall, go to catch bees, pick mushrooms, guide survival skills in the forest…, receive positive feedback from visitors.
The number of guests coming to A Ngu’s homestay is increasing, A Ngu has to borrow money to expand the scale of operations. Access to bank capital is extremely difficult, but it does not stop the tough and resilient Bahnar guy. A Ngui devotes all his efforts to the formation of A Ngui K’bang Homestay as well as K’giang community tourism village.
Preserving national culture
Through many ups and downs, difficulties in the process of building and developing, now, when coming to K’giang village, visitors will be immersed in the life of a village. ethnic minority Learn about the unique culture of Bahnar people, visit brocade weaving villages, knitting dat, make musical instruments, make bows and crossbows, watch gong performances…
Here, during the day, visitors will be immersed in the majestic and poetic nature, enjoy the taste of typical dishes of Vietnam. Bahnar people such as grilled chicken rice, noodles, salted é leaves, bitter de, roasted crab; In particular, visitors will enjoy with a jar of can wine made from Rao seeds with a warm taste like the affection of Bahnar people in K’giang village.
At night, next to the flickering fire under the corner of the Rong house, visitors will be in harmony with the sound of gongs, the melodious T’rung, holding hands of girls and boys dancing the traditional Xoan dance…
And what few places have that is the end of the wine party, visitors will hear the artists sing epics, tell khan about the history of the formation of the land, the peoples on the land of the Central Highlands.
Dinh A Ngui – Bahnar pioneer in community tourism, contributing to the preservation of national culture. (Photo: Hong Diep/VNA)The people of K’giang village, when it comes to A Ngu, say that this is a real leader. Because in the past, with the passage of time, villagers, even village elders or prestigious people in the village, just watched the national culture gradually fade into oblivion. But now, thanks to A Ngu, through gatherings of relatives, the elderly in the village have the opportunity to speak, the opportunity to instruct the younger generation on how to perform gongs, how to make traditional musical instruments, weavingknitting, survival in harsh environments.
The spirit of love for the nation, culture and identity of the Bahnar has once again arisen, and so on will be spread to many generations to come.
Elder Dinh Blich, from K’giang village, Kong Long Khong commune, said that in the past, he and many village elders in other localities often told each other that if their generation died, what they regret the most is that it no longer exists. the next generation to preserve the indigenous culture let alone promote it. But now that there is A Ngu, there is a successor and there are many people doing the same thing as A Ngu, the Bahnar culture is no longer lost. If he closes his eyes, the old generation like him will be very satisfied.
In addition to preserving and promoting national cultural values, Homestay A Ngu also creates job opportunities for hundreds of people in the village from farming and raising livestock, providing food and food for the common activities of the community. homestay or income from performing arts, gongs, selling brocade, bags for tourists…
The gong teams taught by A Ngu by artisans to preserve the national culture are the highlight of attracting tourists to A Ngu homestay. (Photo: Hong Diep/VNA)Profits from tours, souvenir sales, accommodation services, A Ngu invests in expanding, building new motels, buying musical instruments and other necessary items to serve tourists. He spent his own time buying materials, picking up stones, sand and gravel himself to complete the project to be wider and more beautiful.
Up to now, the homestay named A Ngu has 4 large houses on stilts, with a kitchen area and 2 clean toilets, 3 leaf huts, a gong performance yard and surrounded by fish ponds, medium wet rice vegetable fields. provide for the culinary needs while creating a clean and beautiful landscape for guests’ quiet and poetic vacations on holidays or weekends.
The activities of A Ngu and his associates are increasingly rich and attractive, people who have not come yet want to come, guests who have already come are still attached and do not want to leave.
A Ngui said he had just received the World Bank’s investment and financial support at a conference with international organizations and development partners to inform, share experiences and develop cooperation plans. , mobilize resources, attract investment to implement the National Target Program on socio-economic development in mountainous ethnic minority areas in the 2021-2030 period, set by the Central Steering Committee for Targeted Programs. National for the period 2021-2030 to be held in Hanoi.
This is a joy, a great responsibility as well as a motivation for him and the people of K’giang village to have more strength to continue the work of preserving and promoting the community’s cultural values./.
Hong Diep (VNA/Vietnam+)