Preserving Jrai culture in Chu Dang Ya

At the foot of Chu Dang Ya volcano is a land imbued with the cultural identity of the Jrai ethnic minority.

At the foot of that mountain, the traditional stilt houses, the sound of brocade weaving, the laughter of children playing with rattan baskets... still echo and come alive as proof of a community that is persistently preserving the national soul in the midst of the vortex of integration and development.

Imbued with indigenous culture

Located in Gri village, Bien Ho commune, Gia Lai province, Chu Dang Ya volcano is not only a tourist attraction with its brilliant yellow wild sunflowers in late autumn, but also a land imbued with indigenous culture. In that space, the majestic communal houses and traditional stilt houses of the Jrai people are present as living proof of a community that knows how to preserve its identity.

Amidst the rustling wind from the mountainside, the clattering sound of the brocade weaving frame in the corner of Mrs. H'Loan's house in Ploi Bung village still resounds every day. Mrs. H'Loan, one of the most dedicated artisans in the profession, shares: "For the Jrai people, brocade weaving is not only a way to make a living but also the soul of the nation, the legacy left by their ancestors. Jrai girls must grow up knowing how to weave in order to become husbands and wives. Each needle and thread on the fabric is a message to the next generation about their roots and their identity."

The Jrai people preserve brocade weaving to promote and attract tourists .

That tradition does not stop at inheritance, but is also lit up by creative and development efforts. Brocade is no longer just everyday clothing, but has become a unique tourist product, loved by tourists as souvenirs.

During the Wild Sunflower Festival, the image of tourists wearing Jrai brocade dresses, taking photos among the brilliant yellow flower hills, is a harmonious connection between indigenous culture and the needs of tourists to experience. It is a potential direction to bring Jrai culture out of the village, integrating into the flow of modern tourism.

Besides brocade weaving, basket weaving is also a unique cultural feature, closely associated with the life of the Jrai people. From bamboo and rattan, through the skillful hands of Jrai men, simple but sturdy baskets are created, not only serving daily life but also carrying the cultural memories of an entire community.

Mr. Rcom H'Linh, who has been weaving baskets for more than 20 years, shared: "In the past, basket weaving was only for personal use. Now, tourists come and like it, so they buy a lot. So I can keep the profession and earn more income. The children in the village also started to learn to weave, I am very happy!"

From an essential item in working life, the basket has now become a cultural product. Artisans like Mr. H'Linh not only preserve their profession but also pass it on, creating a new livelihood chain for the community. This is in line with the Party and State's policy of preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities in conjunction with sustainable tourism economic development.

According to Project 6 of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 Period (Issued with Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg dated October 14, 2021 of the Prime Minister), preserving and promoting traditional cultural values associated with community tourism is one of the key tasks. Models like those of Ms. H'Loan or Mr. Rcom H'Linh are specific examples of the effective implementation of this policy right on the land of Chu Dang Ya with great potential.

Tourism development associated with cultural preservation

Not only is it a story of each individual or each village, but Chu Dang Ya is facing a great opportunity to transform itself into a national tourist area. With amazing natural landscapes such as: ancient volcanoes, wild sunflower fields, poetic Bien Ho lake... along with the unique cultural treasure of the Jrai people, this place has all the elements to make a breakthrough.

Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan emphasized: Bien Ho-Chu Dang Ya area is a particularly rare resource area, valuable not only to the province but also to the nation, with many favorable infrastructure conditions for tourism development. Planning work needs to be implemented urgently, but must ensure harmony between conservation and development.

Accordingly, planning must have a long-term vision, focus on transport infrastructure, expand protected areas, and especially not harm the ecological environment and indigenous cultural identity.

Mr. Tuan also directed the Department of Construction to coordinate with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local tourism associations to organize cultural and artistic activities in the Chu Dang Ya area to create highlights to attract tourists.

Responding to this direction, Ms. Do Thi Dieu Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai province, said that next November, the department will organize a wild sunflower festival on a larger scale at Chu Dang Ya volcano. Through this festival, the traditional cultural values of the Jrai people will be spread more widely, contributing to promoting sustainable tourism development.

Tourists rent Jrai costumes to take photos with wild sunflowers at Chu Dang Ya volcano.

The wild sunflower festival is not only a tourist event, but also an opportunity for the Jrai people to showcase their culture, from gongs and xoang, to experiential activities such as brocade weaving, basket weaving, and making rice wine...

Those folk art performances, when organized properly and with quality investment, will become "spiritual specialties" that attract tourists and leave an impression on the hearts of those who come.

From a land of potential to a national tourist destination

Currently, Gia Lai province is urgently developing a master plan for tourism development in the Bien Ho-Chu Dang Ya area until 2030, with a vision to 2045, in accordance with the socio-economic development resolutions of the Central Highlands and ethnic minority areas.

According to this orientation, the area will be developed in the direction of eco-cultural-community tourism, with people as the center, culture as the foundation and nature as the fulcrum.

In that context, systematic and in-depth investment to enhance indigenous cultural products such as brocade, baskets, Jrai cuisine, communal house space, traditional festivals, etc. is inevitable. Not only to serve tourists, but more importantly, it is a way for long-standing cultural values to be continued and developed in the younger generation.

Jrai cultural space is performed at the Wild Sunflower Festival.

At the same time, organizing cultural experience tours, school tours, and community tours in Chu Dang Ya will be a practical direction. Tourists not only come to see, but can immerse themselves in the Jrai people's life, live together, eat together, work together, thereby understanding better, loving more and staying longer.

Preserving the soul and roots of the Jrai people is not just a slogan, but a concrete action through each piece of brocade fabric, each rattan basket, each season of brilliant wild sunflowers solemnly celebrated. Amidst the wave of modernization and globalization, Chu Dang Ya is on the right track when choosing a development path based on the foundation of indigenous culture.

With the drastic participation of Gia Lai provincial government, the consensus of the community and the support of all sectors and levels, we believe that a bright future is opening up for Chu Dang Ya - a place where beautiful nature and profound humanistic culture converge.

PHUC THANG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/gin-giu-van-hoa-nguoi-jrai-o-chu-dang-ya-post907430.html