Convergence of M’nong cultural quintessence
Ni Pao village is home to 118 households and 500 people, mainly from the M’nong ethnic group. Local people have preserved traditional culture with many creative methods.
According to artisan Y Lanh, head of the village’s gong team and owner of many rare collections of gongs and traditional tools of the M’nong ethnic group, the M’nong people in the village have considered preservation and promotion of traditional cultural identity a key and the most important task. Local youngsters have also been learning old songs and gong dances to prevent traditional cultural values from falling into oblivion.
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Artisan Y Lanh (left) is preserving many old gongs of the M’nong ethnic people. |
Additionally, local people have exerted efforts to bring into play their traditional brocade weaving craft. Now, visiting Ni Pao village, tourists could see females sitting beside looms. H’Tech, head of the village’s brocade weaving cooperative, said that every Saturday and Sunday, members of the cooperative weave altogether. Along with traditional patterns, they have developed new ones which are typical in the Central Highlands to diversify products. With more products sold in the region, local women have had their income raised.
Now, Ni Pao village has one traditional art and literature club, one young art and literature club, one gong team, one brocade-weaving cooperative and one "ruou can" (alcohol stored in a big jar and drunk with long bamboo straws) production cooperative. Notably, the gong team has performed in many cities and provinces at home and abroad, popularizing the M’nong people’s culture. Along with two eminent artisans titled by the State, the village has many artisans in brocade-weaving and musical instrument production.
Developing community-based tourism
Ni Pao village is blessed with fresh, temperate climate, beautiful natural landscapes, protective forests with high biodiversity values, and typical agricultural ecological landscapes of the Central Highlands. Taking advantage of those potential and strengths together with traditional cultural values, the village’s self-managed board and local people have joined hands to develop tourism. Up to now, five households have had home-stay to offer services to tourists; 20 people act as artistic performers and tourist guides; and one household opens a souvenir and handicraft product shop.
Vice Chairman of Nhan Dao commune People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Tung said that, among six villages of the commune, Ni Pao village is in the list of pilot models of the rural tourism development program in building new-style rural areas in the 2021-2025 period according to Decision 1386 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now Ministry of Agriculture and Environment). Under this model, local traditional cultural values, potential, traditional crafts are brought into play while typical ecological values and old landscapes are protected and promoted.
With improved infrastructure, the village has opened many refresher courses to equip local people with knowledge and skills to sustainably develop community-based tourism, helping raise locals’ spiritual and material life.
Translated by Mai Huong