Waterfront in the heart of the city

08:12, June 18, 2023

Amidst the flow of modern life, the traditional cultural space and customary laws of ethnic minorities are gradually shrinking and fading. However, in Buon Ho town, many Ede villages still preserve water wharves in the heart of the city.

Tring village wharf (An Lac ward) has been preserved and treasured by the villagers for generations. Here, the water flows day and night, never drying up; along with that is the wild beauty of the ancient forest surrounding the wharf, still casting cool green shade.

For many years now, although tap water has reached every house, every day mothers and sisters still go to the water wharf to carry each gourd of cool water home to drink and to brew rice wine. Therefore, to keep the water flowing and sweet, people in the village and neighboring areas are very conscious of protecting the environment and trees around the water wharf, because according to the concept, the water wharf is the source of life for the village, a cultural feature, a sacred place to entrust wishes for a prosperous, happy life, and a bountiful harvest.

Young people of Tring village perform the ritual of worshiping the water wharf.

Therefore, every year after the harvest, the villagers gather at the house of the water wharf owner to hold a ceremony to worship the water wharf, to pray for a clean water source that never runs out; everyone in the village who drinks this water source is as healthy as a wild elephant, the rice and corn crops are full, every family is well-fed, the villagers are united, love and help each other...

The water wharf is a cultural feature of the Ede ethnic group in particular and some ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands in general. In the midst of the bustling life, in each village, preserving the water wharf and cultural activities at the water wharf has been and is a highlight in tourism development.

Mr. Y Goc Nie, the owner of the Tring village water wharf, shared: “The water wharf belongs to his wife’s family and is preserved and maintained by family members and villagers. Therefore, every year the family organizes a worship ceremony. Depending on the economic conditions of the family and villagers, people bring a kilo of meat, a chicken, a little sticky rice… to offer to the gods. Not only that, villagers also regularly clean up the environment, reminding their children and grandchildren to preserve and maintain the water wharf for future generations.”

The water wharf in Kli A village (Dat Hieu ward) has been preserved by the villagers for generations with the wish to pray for clean, clear water, bringing health to the village. Although life has changed a lot, the villagers still raise awareness of protecting the environment and trees at the source of the water. According to the concept of the people here, the water wharf also has a water god, has life, so every year, after the harvest, the village organizes a ceremony to thank the water god, praying for favorable weather, bringing good luck and good things. The water wharf worship ceremony has existed since the establishment of the village and has been passed down to this day...

The forest at the Kli A village wharf is protected and developed by the government and people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khang, Deputy Head of the Town’s Department of Culture and Information, shared that along with urbanization, many water wharves in villages have gradually disappeared or been abandoned due to the shrinking of the upstream forest area, the loss of trees has dried up the underground water, there is no longer a flow or the water source is polluted. However, in An Lac, Dat Hieu wards, Ea Drong and Cu Bao communes, water wharves are still preserved.

In recent years, the local government and functional departments of the town have invested in upgrading and renovating the water wharves to preserve the cultural beauty of the Ede people. Notably, in early 2023, the Town People's Committee started construction of the Cultural Area of the village and the renovation and upgrading of the Kli A village water wharf with a total investment of 8.5 billion VND; expected to be completed and put into use by the end of July. Tring and Kli A villages have been receiving many sources of support for the development of community tourism and homestay services to promote the traditional culture of the Ede people, as well as improve the lives of local people. In particular, the water wharf will be an ideal destination and stopover for tourists when coming to these villages.

Thuy Hong

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