Stories from the Dao village

(Hoa Binh Today) - Following Captain Bui Van Hoan – Head of the Toan Son Commune Police Station, Da Bac District, we arrived at Tra Hamlet, Toan Son Commune. This is a locality with a large Dao ethnic minority population. Implementing the Party and State's reform policies, the lives of the Dao people here have improved significantly. Many families now have spacious and modern houses, and many own cars and motorbikes to meet their essential needs. This achievement is the result of the hard work of countless generations of Dao people and also those who migrated from this highland region to settle and build their lives.

Many Dao families are financially well-off thanks to their hard work.

While sipping a hot cup of tea, Mr. Ban Van Huong, former Vice Chairman of the Fatherland Front of Toan Son commune, shared: "The Dao people are gentle, simple, straightforward, and honest. In the past and present, generations of Dao people live by the motto: 'The Dao people do not take anything from anyone and do not let others take anything from them.' Customs and traditions passed down through generations remind descendants to cherish and preserve the traditional identity of their ethnic group. For generations, the Dao people have preserved many unique cultural features such as the coming-of-age ceremony, the new rice harvest, the New Year's dance, and the harvest prayer. This helps to strengthen community bonds and fosters people's trust in the Party and Government in jointly building a new rural area. However, this does not mean that Phu hamlet is without its own conflicts and complexities. According to Mr. Huong, due to low levels of education and uneven understanding, if issues are not resolved fairly and reasonably, it will be difficult to persuade the people, and may even cause disunity and lead to further complications."

Recalling the conflict between two Dao families in the village, with his prestige and sense of responsibility, Elder Huong assisted the authorities in successfully mediating the dispute, strengthening community bonds. Previously, the families of Mr. Dang Van Th and Mr. Trieu Van T had a fierce dispute over the division of agricultural land. The issue was that this forest land did not have a land title certificate; it had become family land because the villagers had lived there for generations. Therefore, demarcating the boundary was difficult and complicated, leading to conflict as each family claimed ownership. Just over a few meters of land, the two families repeatedly argued, even resorting to physical violence, affecting the good traditions of the Dao village. Understanding the situation, Elder Ban Van Huong visited each family to offer advice and mediation with a warm and sincere but firm approach. Elder Huong warned that if the issue wasn't resolved, and the local authorities discovered the land lacked a title certificate and confiscated it, the families would lose everything. The government provides land for households to cultivate and develop production, so the people must work together to improve the land to increase their income and stabilize their lives. Elder Huong's perseverance and sense of responsibility gradually yielded results; the two families eventually understood the situation, reconciled, and became closer than before.

From Tra hamlet, we followed the hillside up to Phu hamlet in Toan Son commune. The commune's police chief, Bui Van Hoan, revealed that he would introduce us to an elder who was fluent in the Dao script and whose voice held the final say on important matters in the hamlet and village. Seeing us, Elder Dang Tien Binh warmly welcomed us and led us to his house. The house, though built quite a long time ago, still retained the distinctive features of the Dao people. Situated beside the Da River, the climate was cool and the trees were lush, which is why, at his advanced age, Elder Binh remained active and sharp-minded. This was even more valuable as he passed on his experiences and life lessons to his descendants, helping them discern right from wrong, and what to do and what not to do according to the traditional customs of the Dao people.

Elder Binh recounted: "According to the ancient Dao tradition, a son only marries one daughter. In the family, the elders teach their children the same way. Ancient texts teach that no one should violate this prohibition. Smoking opium is killing yourself, your family, your clan, and affecting the village. From then until now, we have persistently educated our children, preventing them from falling into the vices and bad habits of society. If they violate this, we will resolutely expel them from the clan. Therefore, your actions have affected your family and relatives, becoming a source of pain for the clan. That's why each family strengthens its management of its children, ensuring they don't fall behind other families."

The lives of the people here are besieged by difficulties and external temptations that affect the youth. While favorable conditions for economic development haven't yet arrived, the negative aspects of social life have already found their way here. Elder Binh said: the Dao people are inherently honest, simple, hardworking, and always compliant with the policies and guidelines of the Party and the State. In the past, people were very afraid whenever the police were mentioned. However, in recent years, due to a lack of education from family and society, the young people no longer retain the good nature of the Dao ethnic group, leading to increasingly inappropriate behavior and violations of the law. Young people live recklessly, are fond of playing, are lazy, and are easily lured and incited by bad influences, giving rise to crime and social evils, including drug addiction. This makes Elder Binh very sad; he feels it is his responsibility to help the young people orient their lives and morals, and stay away from social evils and drugs.

According to traditional customs, in the past, families celebrating weddings or funerals would hold lavish ceremonies lasting a week, slaughtering buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens to invite the entire village and extended family. The groom's family had to have hundreds of liters of rượu (rice wine) to marry the bride... but now, wedding and funeral customs have improved significantly. For example, the deceased are not allowed to stay in the house for more than three days, alcohol consumption must be limited, and drunkenness is forbidden; violators face severe punishments from the extended family. Along with education, the Dao people maintain traditional customs such as "Bell Dance," "New Year's Dance," "Coming-of-Age Ceremony," and "New Rice Festival," creating a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere, encouraging people to work hard and produce, and praying for a bountiful harvest. They educate their children to raise awareness of frugality in weddings, funerals, and festivals, and to eliminate outdated customs and superstitions, building a new life. Thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, 80% of households in the hamlet now have access to clean drinking water, and over 90% have access to the national power grid. The people have joined hands with the local government to build a new rural area, voluntarily donating land for roads and public welfare facilities.

Over the years, thanks to the State's investment and attention, the infrastructure of the Dao ethnic minority villages has improved significantly, and the appearance of the highland countryside has changed positively. Many families have built sturdy houses and have essential items such as televisions, motorbikes, mobile phones, and even cars for transportation. 100% of students attend school, and the dropout rate has decreased considerably. Many Dao children have passed entrance exams to universities and vocational colleges. After graduation, they have returned to serve their homeland, holding high positions in the local government system. We bid farewell to the friendly Dao people as the sun began to set, casting a golden glow across the vast mountains. In the distance, terraced rice fields stretched out, stilt houses nestled halfway up the mountains, and evening smoke began to rise.

NHU HUNG

(Provincial Police)

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