Vietnamese tourists visit mysterious village in India, are invited by poor family for a meal 'to remember for life'

A simple but warm and sincere meal at a poor family's home in Kongthong village (India) became a special memory in Khoai Lang Thang's journey of exploring the world.

At the end of July, Dinh Vo Hoai Phuong (from Ben Tre province), known to many as Khoai Lang Thang, who owns a YouTube channel with nearly 3 million followers, went on a backpacking trip to India.

On his third visit to the country, he visited Kongthong, a village nestled in the dense forest of the East Hills, Meghalaya state, in northeastern India.

Located in one of the world's heaviest highland regions, Kongthong is shrouded in fog year-round. Mr. Phuong and his companion had to drive for over three hours through the thick fog, navigating numerous landslide-affected sections of road, to reach the village.

"Kongthong is not only a village with a unique Indian climate – cool and picturesque – but also has a unique culture. The people's lives may not be prosperous, but they are warm, generous, and willing to invite me to enjoy the best food they have," Mr. Phuong shared with VietNamNet reporters.

Each person's name is a melody lasting 30-60 seconds.

Kongthong is known as the "whistling village." Its inhabitants, mostly from the Khasi ethnic group, live by farming and hunting, and communicate with each other through whistling.

This piqued the curiosity of the Vietnamese tourist. He and his friend parked their car at the entrance to the village and walked in to explore. They tried asking the children in the village for their names. Despite their young age, the children clearly remembered the whistles that sounded like their own names as well as those of their friends.

The children knew exactly how to whistle their own names and their friends' names.

A young man named Salam enthusiastically invited Mr. Phuong to visit his home. There, he was given an explanation of this unique custom.

When a child is born, the mother creates a unique whistling melody specifically for the child, called jingrwai lawbei . This is the "name" that will stay with the child for life. The melody is usually inspired by natural sounds such as rain, wind, waterfalls, birdsong, etc., and must not be the same as anyone else's, including the deceased.

A given name typically lasts 30-60 seconds. Additionally, each person has a "short name," about 5-6 seconds long, used for informal address within the family.

Strange naming conventions in Kongthong village. Video : Khoai Lang Thang

Locals believe that whistling helps prevent evil spirits from eavesdropping and following them. Others explain that it's because people often go into the forest to find food. In caves and ravines, they use whistling and howling to call each other more easily.

The Vietnamese tourist was surprised to learn that the village has over 600 people, and each person has a unique, non-repeating whistle name.

A touching meal in a poor family.

Not only did the Salam family invite Mr. Phuong to visit their home and learn about their unique way of naming their children, but they also invited the two Vietnamese guests to dinner. Eager to learn about the life and cuisine of the Kongthong people, Mr. Phuong happily agreed.

Mr. Phuong planned to go around the village to buy some food to cook dinner with Salam's family. However, since it was already late afternoon, the only meat stall in the village had run out of stock.

Upon entering Salam's kitchen, he was surprised to find the family's rice bowl almost empty. Yet, Salam still cooked a full pot of rice, carefully skimming off the top layer – which was undercooked and less tasty – for himself, leaving the better rice for his guest.

The Salam family's rice bowl was almost empty.

While Salam was cooking, Mr. Phuong chatted with him and learned that meat was very expensive in Kongthong. Salam's family usually only ate meat once a week. They also ate fish, but very rarely because they had to go to the market and the price was high. Their meals mainly consisted of simple stir-fried cabbage.

But when two guests arrived, Salam prepared even more dishes. He stir-fried cabbage and made a stew with red onions, chili peppers, turmeric, potatoes, and red lentils for them. He also carefully peeled three eggs to make a dish similar to egg in tomato sauce.

When the rice and food were divided into bowls, Mr. Phuong was surprised because there were nearly 10 people in the family but only 3 bowls of rice. Salam explained that his mother and everyone else weren't hungry yet. They wanted to wait for the other family members to come home to eat.

But according to Mr. Phuong, because the amount of food was too little, the family gave it to the guests. "While eating, I felt warm and close, but of course I also felt guilty that the family gave me their rice and eggs."

"Salam lied, saying he was full, and saved the eggs for me. That meal was truly touching. It was probably one of the most memorable meals, the most special encounter in my journey of wandering and exploring the world," Phuong confided.

The Indian family shared their meager food with the two Vietnamese guests. Video: Khoai Lang Thang

Salam kept urging Mr. Phuong to eat more so he would have enough energy to travel a long distance. Seeing that his bowl of rice was almost empty, the young man immediately scooped another spoonful of hot rice. "Eat more, sir. Don't be shy." The simple bowl of rice tasted delicious to Mr. Phuong.

The kind Indian boy Salam (in the pink shirt)

The video of the meal, posted on TikTok, has garnered over 15 million views. Many were moved by the sincerity and hospitality of the Salam family. They commented that although the house was small and lacked basic necessities, it was neat and clean, with kitchen utensils polished to a shine – showing respect for their guests.

Before leaving the village, Phuong and his companion stopped at a grocery store to buy eggs and some gifts for the Salam family as a token of gratitude.

"When the hosts enthusiastically invited me to a meal, I thought to myself, the more I eat, the happier they will be. I wanted them to see that I didn't criticize their cooking and that it wasn't wasteful. The gift I gave to the Salam family wasn't to buy a meal, but to express my affection, respect, and gratitude," the Vietnamese tourist shared.

Mr. Phuong is very much looking forward to the opportunity to return to Kongthong to meet Salam's family.

A 70-year-old woman travels to India carrying a rice cooker, crossing a snow-covered mountain pass over 5,000 meters high. At the age of 70, Ms. Tran Xuan Chau, wearing an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), carrying a rice cooker, and with the eager spirit of youth, set out to conquer Ladakh (India), overcoming the freezing temperatures, high altitude, and many "first-time" experiences.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khoai-lang-thang-den-lang-bi-an-o-an-do-duoc-gia-dinh-ngheo-moi-bua-an-nho-doi-2441882.html