U Minh is the general name, but in terms of administrative management, this biosphere reserve is divided into two forests: U Minh Thuong in Kien Giang and U Minh Ha in Ca Mau. These two forests are separated by the Trem River.
Warmly welcomed by the U Minh Ha Forest Management Board (Ca Mau), we immediately went through the forest by a vo lai (also known as tac rang), a very useful and popular motorboat in the river region. The weather was cool, the shower had just stopped, and in the distance on the horizon was a bright rainbow behind the gradually drifting gray clouds.
All around, the trees and grass were a cool green color, the water was clear but strangely, it had a very different jet black color from the water in big rivers like Tien River or Hau River. The reason was because there was a layer of peat left at the bottom of the canal that had existed for thousands of years, and the water was so clear that the peat reflected on the water surface, creating a mysterious jet black color. The water was very clean, the ranger guiding the group proved it himself by scooping a handful of water into his hand and drinking it naturally in the middle of the forest.
We walked through large grasslands, the remains of large forest fires over the years, patches of burnt forest forming grasslands hundreds of meters wide. A lot of reeds and water ferns grow here, creating a strange ecosystem, providing shelter for some endemic bird species and even otters.
One of the most memorable discoveries when coming to U Minh is to see people building beehives and harvesting honey. This is an effective economic exploitation activity allowed in U Minh, because it does not encroach on the flora and fauna of the forest. The beehive building profession has a history of hundreds of years, when migrants from other lands flocked to U Minh to make a living.
Even in the short story collection Fragrance of the Ca Mau Forest by the “old man of the South” - writer Son Nam, he also wrote to elevate this bee-eating profession to a “religion” in the culture of the South in the past. We also learned how to pull out the tops of the water fern plant to get the white shoots, to make a salad mixed with dried snakehead fish - a delicacy in the cuisine of the South.
The boat ran deep into the dense forest, sometimes the sunlight could not be seen because of the dense forest cover. The birds chirped loudly, the fish splashed in the canal, the boat turned off the engine, only the oars gently tapping on the smooth water remained. The guide told many interesting stories about the trees, birds, and the need to closely monitor the bee-eaters to avoid causing the risk of forest fires. The rangers and tour guides here all have deep affection for the U Minh forest, cherish nature and wholeheartedly protect the "green gold" cluster of this southern land.../.
Heritage Magazine
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