Dam Rong preserves and promotes indigenous cultural values

In recent times, the work of preserving the folk culture of the indigenous people of the Central Highlands in Dam Rong district has been focused on. Unique folk cultural festivals have been gradually restored, many gong clubs in villages and hamlets have been established and maintained, and especially many officials and people have participated in donating artifacts and documents for display at the district's Cultural Conservation Area.

District leaders honored many officials and people who donated artifacts and documents to display at the district's Cultural Conservation Area.

Dam Rong district currently has 61,611 people, with 26 ethnic groups living together, of which ethnic minorities account for over 65% of the population. With the characteristic of ethnic minorities accounting for a fairly high proportion, moreover, in the district there is an interweaving of different cultures, creating a rich and diverse cultural identity of ethnic groups.

In order to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities, in recent years, the Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism of the province and Dam Rong district have paid attention to directing localities in the district to deploy and mobilize ethnic minorities in villages to maintain cultural activities, collect and restore the traditional cultural beauty of their ethnic groups, thereby many folk rituals that seemed to have been lost have now been restored such as: the Rain Praying Ceremony (Nho Duong) of the K'Ho people (Cil branch), the Wedding Ceremony (Tam Bau) of the M'Nong people. Village elder Cil Neu in Da Tong commune said: “Previously, the K'Ho and M'Nong ethnic people in Dam Ron area mainly cultivated upland rice, and their lives were closely tied to stilt houses. Although their lives have changed greatly, they no longer hold big festivals such as the oath-taking ceremony or buffalo-eating ceremony, but they still maintain the rituals of the New Rice Celebration, bringing rice to the warehouse, and showing filial piety. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local authorities at all levels, creating conditions for people to have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities, organize festivals, and review the traditional festivals of our people, we are very happy, because it not only helps people raise their awareness of preservation but also gives them strength to make efforts to preserve the cultural identity of the nation.”

Along with organizing the restoration of folk cultural festivals, Dam Rong district also pays attention to organizing the Gong Culture Festival to create conditions for people to meet and exchange culture. In addition, many people in the district regularly maintain agricultural rituals, filial piety ceremonies, etc. From these traditional rituals and festivals, many cultural and artistic programs, gong performances, and xoang dances imbued with the traditional cultural identity of ethnic minorities have been staged and widely introduced to all classes of people in the district.

The work of searching, collecting and preserving traditional rituals of the K'Ho and M'Nong people has been maintained and achieved many encouraging results. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Quang - Head of the Department of Culture - Science and Information of Dam Rong district: "From 2010 to now, the district has coordinated with the Institute of Folklore, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television... and specialized agencies of the district to organize surveys and assessments, meet with artisans to exchange information, collect and record many documents related to folk songs, ancient stories, epics and traditional agricultural rituals, life cycle ceremonies, filial piety... of indigenous people. Typically, Mr. Da Cat Tu in Da Tong commune is very dedicated to the work of collecting, mobilizing descendants, villagers to preserve and conserve traditional cultural values, contributing to preserving the cultural values ​​of indigenous people in Dam Rong district in particular and Lam Dong province in general".

In addition to restoring some traditional folk festivals of local ethnic minorities, local authorities and relevant sectors have mobilized people to collect, preserve and store traditional musical instruments and artifacts of their people. At the same time, they have established and restored folk art troupes and gong clubs in communes and villages of ethnic minorities...

At the conference to propose ideas and propagate and mobilize the donation of artifacts and documents displayed at the Da Tong Cultural Conservation Area recently organized by the district, Mr. Truong Huu Dong - Chairman of the District People's Committee affirmed: The development of programs and plans to implement Resolution 33-NQ/TW of the Party Central Committee has been focused on and directed for implementation. The work of preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities has been focused on and directed by Party committees and authorities at all levels, and has initially achieved some results. In 2022, the district successfully organized the 1st Dam Rong District Gong Culture Festival. In 2024, successfully organized the reenactment of the Rain God Worship Festival of the K'Ho ethnic group in Da Long commune and the Wedding Ceremony of the M'Nong ethnic group in Da Tong commune; established 2 Gong Culture Models in Da Tong commune; successfully organized the 2nd Cultural - Sports Festival of Ethnic Minorities and the 2nd Gong Culture Festival of Dam Rong District...

In the period of 2023 - 2024, from the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, the district has provided 11 sets of gongs and 48 sets of traditional costumes of ethnic minorities..., supported the activities of 11 traditional art troupes of villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; organized 6 classes to teach gongs to 180 ethnic minority youth... Notably, in 2022, the district invested in building the Da Tong Commune Cultural Conservation Area with a total cost of nearly 11 billion VND and put it into operation from 2023.

With appropriate efforts and implementation, the work of preserving and promoting the folk cultural values ​​of indigenous ethnic groups in Dam Rong district is expected to achieve many good results, contributing practically to preserving the traditional cultural capital of the Central Highlands ethnic community in general and successfully building the Project "Developing the Conservation Area and Cultural Activities of Ethnic Minorities of the Central Highlands" of Dam Rong district in particular in the period 2025 - 2030.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/dam-rong-bao-ton-va-phat-huy-gia-tri-van-hoa-dan-toc-ban-dia-6ef59b0/