A new rhythm of life in Khe Nuoc

The winding concrete road along Ngoi Lao stream led us to Khe Nuoc, a Dao ethnic minority village in Cat Thinh commune. Here, a new way of life is emerging with modern houses, lush green cinnamon hills, and orchards laden with oranges...

In his newly completed house, Trieu Nhu Phien, the Party Secretary of the village, shared: "Thanks to the investment of the State and the efforts of the people, the lives of the Dao people have changed significantly. The economy is prosperous, security and order are stable, and traditional cultural values ​​are preserved."

Khe Nuoc currently has over 80 households, including 69 Dao Quan Chet ethnic minority households. Despite difficult conditions, the people have boldly applied technological advancements to production. As a result, 16 hectares of rice paddies have achieved stable yields of 5-5.5 tons/hectare/season. This not only ensures food security but also creates a source of goods, contributing to increased income for the households.

In addition to converting arid land areas to corn cultivation, the people also combined it with livestock and poultry farming; some households boldly developed new models such as growing cardamom, raising bamboo rats and civets... which initially brought high economic efficiency.

Cinnamon is the main economic crop for the people of Khe Nuoc village.

Leaders of Cat Thinh commune visited a model of fruit tree cultivation for economic development implemented by a household in the village.

Like many Dao villages in the region, cinnamon trees have become a "poverty-alleviating crop," with 70 hectares out of hundreds of hectares of cinnamon trees owned by the villagers now yielding harvests. Thanks to cinnamon, all households in the village have escaped poverty, with many building spacious houses and purchasing modern amenities. The improved living standards have also enabled the people to actively participate in the new rural development movement.

"Thanks to the financial contributions, land donations, and labor of the villagers, 5 km of inter-communal and intra-village roads have been concreted, contributing to improving transportation conditions and promoting trade," said Village Head Duong Kim Tuan.

With economic development, improved security and order, and the elimination of outdated customs, it is commendable that the Dao people here still preserve their traditional cultural values.

Ms. Phung Thi Thao, a villager, shared: "While embracing modern life, we still remind each other to preserve our traditional culture. In our families, parents teach children the language of our ancestors, women preserve traditional clothing, actively participate in cultural and artistic activities; and maintain traditional dishes made from wild vegetables, bamboo shoots, chicken, pork, and corn wine fermented with leaves."

More specifically, the Dao people of Khe Nuoc still preserve and maintain the coming-of-age ceremony and other unique cultural activities such as: the New Year's dance, the New Rice Festival, the village prayer ceremony, etc.

"Maintaining the coming-of-age ceremony is not only a cultural ritual, but also a way to educate the younger generation to live ethically, respect their ancestors, and promote community solidarity," said Mr. Phung Vinh An, an elder in the village.

The people of Khe Nuoc actively participate in local festivals to preserve their cultural identity.

Striving to escape poverty and preserve their rich cultural heritage, the people of Khe Nuoc village are aiming to develop it into an attractive eco-cultural tourism destination in the future.

To achieve the above goal, the village continues to propagate and encourage people to strictly abide by the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws, while promoting family economic development in conjunction with preserving and promoting traditional culture.

The people hope that the State will continue to pay attention to and invest in infrastructure development, especially cultural institutions, so that they can have the conditions to promote the valuable cultural identity of their ethnic group.

Secretary of the Party Branch of Trieu Nhu Phien village

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nhip-song-moi-o-khe-nuoc-post888118.html