By the Dak Bla River

Dak Bla River is a rare river in Vietnam that flows in an East-West direction, instead of from West to East like most other rivers. This has given Dak Bla the nickname “the river that flows backwards”, making it a special symbol of Kon Tum.

Mr. A Jar, Plei Don village, Quang Trung ward, Kon Tum city shared: Over many generations, people of different ethnic groups have joined hands to build up the culture and form villages on the banks of this river.

For generations, the Gia Rai and Ba Na people have built villages along the banks of this river. The river deposits alluvium on the riverbanks, making rice and corn grow well and providing abundant aquatic resources for the people here. For ethnic minorities, the Dak Bla River is a gift from nature.

Mr. A Toi (Ba Na ethnic group), Village Chief of Kon Bok Deh village, Dak Ruong commune, Kon Ray district shared: According to the village elders, the first person who came here to find land to establish a village on the Dak Bla river was named Bok Deh. Seeing the fertile land, many people from the old village came to live there. The village gradually developed and the villagers' lives became more and more prosperous. That was thanks to the fertile land that this river bestowed.

Ethnic minorities settling along the Dak Bla River promote traditional cultural values ​​to develop tourism.

With a long history of settlement, ethnic minorities here have preserved the original wild features of traditional villages. And from that, Kon Tum province has oriented and built many villages along this river to become community tourism villages, such as Kon Ko Tu village, Kon Jo Ri village, Dak Ro Wa commune.

Coming to these community tourism villages, in addition to experiencing the wild features of the majestic Central Highlands, visitors can also enjoy rice wine, mixed with the sounds of gongs and traditional xoang dances of ethnic minorities. And in the early morning, visitors will be amazed by the image of the Dak Bla River like a shimmering silk strip, looming under the misty fog. All of these combine to create a gentle and poetic beauty for the Dak Bla River.

Bustling riverside city

As the political, economic, cultural and social center of the province, in recent years, Kon Tum City has focused on planning and construction towards an ecological urban area, first of all protecting and enhancing the natural beauty of the Dak Bla River to gradually form and develop the space along the Dak Bla River associated with preserving culture, history and developing tourism, developing urban transport networks, and developing ecologically balanced urban areas.

A corner of Kon Tum city by the peaceful and poetic Dak Bla river

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Man, Chairman of Kon Tum City People's Committee, said: The province invests in developing new urban areas to expand the urban space of Kon Tum City in the direction of taking Dak Bla River as the center, as the "backbone" to focus on investing in building infrastructure, creating landscapes, creating a premise for developing trade - services - tourism. Developing new urban areas according to the model of green urban areas, smart urban areas, with their own identity along both banks of Dak Bla River.

Dak Bla River is the origin, the source of development and also a part of the urban brand. Therefore, it always goes with the name of Kon Tum in general, Kon Tum City in particular.

Dak Bla River is a rare river in Vietnam that flows in an East-West direction, instead of from West to East like most other rivers. This has given Dak Bla the nickname “the river that flows backwards”, making it a special symbol of Kon Tum.

In recent years, Kon Tum province has invested in building new, modern and beautiful bridges across the Dak Bla River, creating more highlights and enhancing the inherent beauty of the river. A riverside walking street has also been formed to promote the night-time economy, gradually forming destinations to serve the entertainment needs of residents and tourists.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: Coming here, I saw that the planning of Kon Tum City developed on both sides of the Dak Bla River, the landscape is very beautiful compared to other places. Walking along both sides of the river, there are ancient villages, experiencing the traditional culture of ethnic minorities, experiencing the unique space of "village in the city".

Once coming to Kon Tum, sitting and drinking a cup of coffee by the Dak Bla River flowing through Kon Tum City, watching the water slowly flowing, feeling the gentle winds carrying the cold of the river and listening to the sound of gongs, we will understand more about the history and culture of the land and people of Kon Tum.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/ben-dong-dak-bla-1729153602080.htm