In Kmong Prong B village (Tan An ward), Mr. Y Bhiông Buôn Yă (43 years old) is developing a community tourism model right in his family's long house. Initially, there were only a few small groups of tourists coming to learn about and experience the culture and life of the Ede people, then "good news spread far and wide", and more and more tourists came. Not having enough space, he borrowed more long houses from the villagers to serve. Up to now, he is building a new, more sturdy and spacious long house to promptly meet the needs of tourists.
This model not only helps Mr. Y Bhiông’s family earn more income but also creates livelihoods for many people in the village. Cooks, vegetable sellers, tour guides, etc., all participate in tourism activities. In particular, tourism also contributes to changing the community’s awareness.
“In the past, in order to make a living, many households gradually moved away from their traditional lifestyle and paid little attention to their ethnic culture. However, since seeing tourists eagerly learning about the architecture of the long house and admiring the traditional dishes of the Ede people, people have begun to realize the value of things they once took for granted. From just doing things for the sake of it, they have now taken the initiative to preserve the long house and wear traditional costumes on special occasions,” said Y Bhiông.
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| Mr. Y Bhiông Buôn Yă (left) is completing a new long house to serve tourists. |
In Tuor village (Hoa Phu commune), Ms. H Belly Eban (40 years old) also nurtured the dream of doing tourism from her childhood memories. When she was a child, her family often welcomed friends from abroad to visit the village. They enjoyed the typical living space, were passionate about stories around the fire and were always curious about the lifestyle of the Ede people. Those images silently planted in her heart a love for traditional culture and a desire to preserve it in her own way. By 2023, she began building a long house to welcome guests to stay, and at the same time organized tours to experience the life of the Ede people such as cooking, going to the fields, riding tractors, etc.
“In the past, people in the village were used to living a closed life, rarely talking to strangers. But since starting tourism and interacting with many groups of visitors, they have gradually become more open. The initial stories were just about introducing meals and family traditions, then gradually turned into sincere sharing about customs, habits, and daily life. In return, tourists also brought many new things, some taught children a few English sentences, others told people about how to preserve culture and develop tourism in the places they had been. Those simple interactions have created a special connection, helping the village atmosphere become lively and full of life,” Ms. H Belly expressed.
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| Ms. H Belly Eban and her husband refurbished the accommodation space in the traditional long house to serve tourists. |
In the villages of the Ede people, the sound of gongs is no longer quietly in the memories of old festivals. More and more groups of visitors come here, bringing with them the desire to learn about and appreciate the unique traditional culture. Thanks to that, the sacred sound of gongs has the opportunity to resound everywhere.
Mr. Y Brin Nie, a member of the Ko Tam gong team (Tan An ward), confided: “In the past, we only played gongs during the village’s ceremonies and festivals. But now that tourism has developed, when visitors come, they invite us to perform, sometimes up to ten times a month. Not only are visitors interested and enthusiastic, but even the children in the village have begun to pay more attention. The children saw that we performed all the time, had distinguished guests, and were paid, so they asked to learn, started playing and fell in love without realizing it.”
Community tourism not only brings visitors from afar closer to the life of the Ede people but also creates conditions for the local people to find and appreciate the cultural values of their people.
When long houses are renovated to welcome guests, traditional dishes become specialties, the sound of gongs echoes in everyday life... cultural identity is no longer an old thing but has become more vivid and closer in every breath of life today. However, to develop this journey more sustainably, more systematic investment is still needed from infrastructure, tourism skills to appropriate promotional strategies...
But above all, the desire to preserve and spread traditional values that is growing in the hearts of each villager is the most solid foundation for the "revival" of Ede culture.
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202507/hoi-sinh-van-hoa-ede-tu-du-lich-cong-dong-5130bfc/
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