Dak Lak: Passing on the torch of preserving the cultural symbol of the Central Highlands

Dak Lak is home to 49 ethnic groups with rich and unique cultural heritage and identity.

Among them, the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space, recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, has become a prominent cultural symbol of the Central Highlands ethnic community.

After 20 years, the echoes of gongs are still present in community activities, taught, practiced and spread in village life.

Persistently passing on the torch to the younger generation

In recent years, Dak Lak province has focused on preserving and promoting the cultural values of ethnic minorities, especially the gong heritage. In the villages, many teaching classes have been opened, creating conditions for the younger generation to access, practice and preserve the unique cultural space of the Central Highlands.

On weekends, at the Wiâo village community cultural house (Krông Năng commune, Đắk Lắk province), the Artisan Club with 20 pairs of members divided into 3 teams (seniors, middle-aged and children) still maintains regular activities. The senior artisans persistently pass on the passion, teaching each gong beat to the younger generation.

The sound of gongs echoes from the traditional long house of the Ede people. Photo: (Tuan Anh/VNA)

Mr. Y Maih Mlô, the leader of the Wiâo artisans team, said that his family has three generations involved in gongs. As the club president and leader of the artisans team, he believes that this is a difficult but honorable task.

Maintaining the Club's activities is difficult due to limited resources, however, the village community always tries to practice regularly to preserve the tradition. The biggest wish is that the authorities and sectors continue to support so that gongs do not fade away and are preserved sustainably, Mr. Y Maih Mlo shared.

That continuity also took place in Kmrông Prong A village (Tan An ward). Artisan Y Bay Kbuôr, the village chief, said that older artisans regularly teach gong lessons to young people and children to create a successor force.

Thanks to the province’s conservation programs, the Club maintains regular activities. Through exchange trips, the children learn many ways to preserve identity from other localities. People hope that the province will continue to support funding and equip new gong sets to promote better, Mr. Y Bay Kbuôr shared.

Continue to preserve and promote

After two decades, the conservation and promotion of the Gong Cultural Space in Dak Lak has recorded many positive results. The province has restored many traditional festivals; maintained hundreds of gong teams; organized training classes for youth; promoted heritage internationally; combined conservation with cultural tourism development...

By 2024, the whole province will have 1,603 sets of gongs (1,178 Ede sets, 219 M'nong sets, 118 Jrai sets and 88 sets of other ethnic groups). The province has 3,749 artisans preserving the heritage, of which 1,015 are young artisans.

The Central Highlands gongs are not only a unique cultural feature but have also become a tourist product attracting a large number of visitors. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA)

In the recent period, the province has distributed 214 sets of gongs and 1,140 sets of brocade costumes to gong teams and clubs... These numbers show the great efforts of the province and the ethnic minority communities in preserving heritage.

However, conservation work still faces many difficulties such as the risk of losing folk knowledge, broken transmission, the impact of urbanization, the difficult economic life of ethnic minority areas, and the influence of modern culture...

According to Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak province Tran Hong Tien, in recent times, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Council have issued many policies and resolutions to support the preservation and promotion of the Gong Cultural Space. In villages, the transmission of gong culture is widespread, especially among the younger generation. In festivals, people use gongs as a way to preserve and promote traditional cultural values.

In the coming time, the Department will advise Dak Lak province to issue new policies and resolutions to support artisans, villages and create favorable conditions for heritage development.

Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee Dao My said that the province will propose to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to develop a master plan for the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space, in which it will identify facilities, equipment, human resources, training for the next generation of artisans... Local Party committees and authorities need to take strong action to support artisans, creating motivation to continue preserving, promoting and spreading cultural identity to the community.

Thanks to the cooperation of the community and authorities at all levels, the sound of gongs will continue to resonate in village life through each generation./.

Persistently passing on the torch to the younger generation

Continue to preserve and promote

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