Among the Tay, Nung, and Dao ethnic groups, the hearth is usually located in a fixed section of the stilt house. The hearth frame is made from strong, durable wood, often ironwood, teak, rosewood, or mahogany – considered among the finest woods. The wood is carefully joined using mortise and tenon joints to form a square hearth frame. The interior of the hearth is filled with clay, with minimal gravel, stone, or sand. When heated, this clay gradually hardens and retains heat very well.

The fire is lit using the principle of a tripod. There are always three main pieces of firewood in the stove, usually sturdy, carefully selected logs. These logs are rarely chopped into smaller pieces; they are only cut to a size that allows them to stand firmly in the stove. Thanks to their solid, slow-burning properties, these three main pieces of wood help maintain the fire for a long time. In addition, smaller pieces of wood, often called "junior wood," are added when a larger fire is needed.

The way the people in the highlands keep their fires burning is also unique. When going to sleep or when not using the stove, the fire is not extinguished but the embers are left to smolder. Thanks to this, the stove continues to burn. In the morning, with just a gentle blow and a few more pieces of firewood, the flame flares up again. In the past, the people in the highlands believed that a family that could maintain such a consistently burning fire was considered meticulous and well-maintained, because the stove reflected the lifestyle and home-keeping of each household.

Above the stove, there is usually a loft made of bamboo, placed at head height, where many familiar items are stored: seeds, dried bamboo shoots, farming tools, and strips of smoked meat. The lingering smoke from the stove throughout the year gives a unique flavor to the produce of the highlands, while also contributing to food preservation in traditional living conditions.

Illustration: THAI AN

The hearth is not only closely associated with daily life but also with spiritual life. For the Tay people, the hearth is considered the dwelling place of the Fire God. When building a new house, the first thing to do is to bring fire into the house. The homeowner invites an elderly, respected person to light the first fire, praying for a prosperous life and a bountiful harvest. Next to the main hearth, a small bamboo tube is usually placed to worship the Fire God. On the 15th and 1st of the lunar month, or during Tet (Lunar New Year), people light incense and pray, hoping the fire will never go out.

In the Hmong belief system, the hearth is the dwelling place of the three Fire gods. The hearth must not be moved arbitrarily. At the end of the year, they perform a thanksgiving ceremony to the gods, offering wine and meat, and praying for peace in the new year. The Dao people, on the other hand, have the custom of keeping the fire burning for three days during Tet (Lunar New Year), ensuring the hearth does not cool down, believing that the fire at the beginning of the year will bring good fortune throughout the year.

The hearth is also a space for work and togetherness. In the smoke-filled house, the men sit weaving baskets and making winnowing trays; the women embroider dresses and dry their threads. Children gather around the hearth, listening to the elders tell stories about the fields and the village. Every afternoon, after a day in the fields, the whole family gathers around the hearth, the rice pot bubbling, the aroma of roasted corn filling the wooden house.

Today, many families in the highlands have gas or electric stoves. But the traditional wood-burning stove is still preserved, as an indispensable part of the home. The highland fire thus continues to burn silently and persistently, warming people and preserving the customs and traditions that have been intertwined with the lives of the people for generations.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/bep-lua-do-am-suot-bon-mua-1026149