A "living treasure" of M'nong culture.

Everyone in Buôn Đung (Đắk Phơi commune) knows and respects Mr. Y Par Đăk Căt because he is not only a respected village elder but also the "keeper of the flame" of M'nông traditional culture.

Báo Đắk Lắk•20/01/2026

Even though he's nearly 70 years old, Y Par Đăk Căt still diligently weaves traditional baskets every day. The bamboo and rattan fibers, in his hands, become soft and pliable, transforming into sturdy baskets. Y Par shared: “Each basket has its own function, its own story. Depending on the shape and size of the basket, the purpose and user also differ. Baskets for fetching water are woven loosely, baskets for rice are woven tightly, and baskets for corn are woven densely. Smaller baskets for personal belongings or items are woven very carefully and elaborately with many skillful decorative patterns... In addition, there are baskets with high legs to reduce the weight because you don't have to bend or stoop. Now that I'm old and no longer have the strength to work in the fields, I just stay at home weaving baskets.”

The people of Buon Dung village learn about the traditional art of basket weaving from Mr. Y Par Dak Cat.

In the couple's stilt house, there are always baskets of various sizes available because many people order them to be woven. Maintaining the weaving craft not only provides him with additional income, but more importantly, it affirms the vitality and economic value of M'nong culture in modern society.

Besides weaving baskets, Elder Y Par of Dak Cat is also a renowned gong player, possessing complex ancient gong melodies, from gongs for rain prayers and gongs celebrating the new rice harvest to gongs for bidding farewell to the deceased... Elder Y Par has also painstakingly preserved two precious sets of gongs through many generations, including a set of gongs for playing on baskets and a set of gongs for playing by hand.

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Driven by a desire for the younger generation to continue and preserve the cultural heritage of their ancestors, Elder Y Par regularly participates in gong-playing classes for young people in the village and surrounding areas. "Gongs are the voice of our ancestors; losing the sound of the gongs means losing the soul of the M'nong people. Our descendants must know how to play them, must love the sound of the gongs, for our culture to survive," Elder Y Par confided.

Each time he teaches the young people how to play the gongs, he teaches not only the striking technique but also the meaning and the cultural significance hidden within each note. Thanks to him, the young people of Buon Dung gradually come to love and appreciate the traditional cultural values more. To date, Buon Dung has established two gong ensembles (one for the elderly and one for the young); the number of people who know how to play the gongs has reached about 60.

Mr. Y Par Đăk Căt (far left) encourages villagers to use clean water from the centralized water supply system.

Besides that, old man Y Par is also a talented M'boắt horn player (a type of horn with five tines). His horn playing, sometimes deep and resonant, tells stories of love between couples, and at other times, it reflects the refined and profound soul of an artist.

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It can be said that, thanks to people who are deeply committed to traditional culture like the elderly Y Par Đăk Căt, M'nông culture continues to thrive, not only in their minds or books but also in the daily lives of the community.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202512/kho-tang-song-van-hoa-mnong-26d1a9a/