Natural masterpieces: Awakening Chu Mom Ray

MOM RAY IS CAPTIVATED

At nearly 1,800 meters high, the summit of Chu Mom Ray stands majestically like a pillar supporting the sky amidst the clouds and mountain winds. For a long time, this mountain has become a sacred symbol of the remote border region of Sa Thầy District.

The peak of Chu Mom Ray stands tall and majestic, like a pillar supporting the sky.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

The journey to conquer the highest peak of Chu Mom Ray National Park is a half-day hike, traversing pristine landscapes. Visitors will pass cascading waterfalls, cool streams deep in the forest, dense primeval forests, and vast stretches of bamboo rustling in the sunlight.

Along that route, Monkey Waterfall emerges amidst the vast forest like a silver ribbon. As you ascend, the panoramic view of Sa Thầy District, Yaly hydroelectric reservoir, Plei Krông, and a part of Kon Tum City gradually unfolds before your eyes, breathtakingly beautiful. Near the summit, visitors will encounter remnants of wartime history: old military posts, trenches, power poles, barbed wire fences...

Beyond its mountains, Chu Mom Ray National Park is a harmonious blend of many rare ecosystems. The Dak Kan deciduous forest, a characteristic dry-season forest of the Central Highlands, features a wide lake and vast green grasslands resembling a savanna, ideal for camping and outdoor activities.

Bar Goc is one of the ancient villages of the Jrai people in Sa Thay District.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

At Dak Tao and Ya Book wildlife parks, visitors can see herds of wild animals up close, just like being in Africa.

PHOTO: XUAN THUY

The Ya Book crape myrtle forest, spanning over 10 hectares, is another memorable destination. During the dry season, the crape myrtle trees change their leaves, dyeing the entire area purple, yellow, and red, creating a shimmering scene like something out of an oil painting.

The Dak Tao and Ya Book grasslands are home to many wild animals thanks to their natural water and mineral salt sources. At dawn or dusk, visitors may unexpectedly encounter herds of deer, wild boars, and even bison appearing in the middle of the savanna, giving the feeling of being on an adventure in the African wilderness.

In sub-area 586, a unique volcanic rock formation still bears the fossilized footprints of deer, dating back 400-520 million years. Here, an underground mineral spring and a gentle stream meander beneath the forest canopy, making it an ideal location for geological and archaeological research and nature experiences.

According to Mr. Dao Xuan Thuy, Director of the Chu Mom Ray National Park Management Board, this old-growth forest currently records more than 1,500 plant species, including 113 rare species such as wild orchids, conifers, dipterocarpus, and Ginkgo, which are symbolic of the ancient beauty and biodiversity of the Central Highlands. Regarding animals, Chu Mom Ray is home to 718 species, including iconic names of the deep forest: the red-cheeked gibbon, the gaur, and even the Indochinese tiger, a sacred animal of the forest, a testament to the silent revival of wildlife amidst the undulating mountains and forests.

Mount Chu Mom Ray is associated with a touching legend about sisterly love.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

Chu Mom Ray National Park not only boasts magnificent natural landscapes, but also possesses a diverse forest ecosystem.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

"We are implementing a project to develop ecotourism , community tourism, and historical-cultural tourism. Currently, the park has 15 sites and 6 tourist routes that can be exploited, from dipterocarp forests, wildlife areas, fossil sites to waterfalls such as Nàng Tiên (Fairy) and Vua Cha (King Father)...", Mr. Thủy shared.

THE MOUNTAIN OF BROCADE OR THE INJUSTICE THAT TURNED INTO STONE?

If the landscape is the physical body of Chu Mom Ray, then Jrai legends are the profound soul of this mountain, creating a mysterious allure for this vast forest region. Located at the foot of the mountain, Bar Goc village is one of the oldest villages of the Jrai people. There, Mrs. Y Soi (81 years old), the oldest person in the village, still often tells her grandchildren the legend of Chu Mom Ray mountain.

The name Chư Mom Ray, in the Jrai language, means "brocade mountain." The mountain is also known as Chư Nang Pray, associated with the Pray plant used to spin yarn for weaving. Legend tells that long ago, two orphaned sisters lived together at the foot of the mountain. One day, the village of Bar Gốc held a festival. The older sister went into the forest to gather food for the festivities, while the younger sister stayed home to weave cloth. Before leaving, the older sister hung the yarn on the fence and asked her younger sister to watch it. But a wild buffalo passing by ate the yarn.

When the older sister returned and couldn't find the thread, she questioned her younger sister. The younger sister insisted she didn't know. Disbelieving her, the older sister angrily chased her out of the house. Humiliated, the younger sister left the village and went deep into the forest. Reaching a high hill, she collapsed, tears streaming down her face, and turned to stone, still whispering, "Sister, I didn't take your thread."

The Ya Book crape myrtle forest ecosystem is mesmerizingly beautiful during the leaf-changing season.

PHOTO: XUAN THUY

The peak of Chu Mom Ray stands tall and majestic, like a pillar supporting the sky.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

During the village festival that year, the young men caught a wild bull and slaughtered it as a sacrifice to the gods. They dug out a bundle of threads from the bull's intestines. The older sister was stunned. She rushed into the forest, walking until she reached the hill where her younger sister had turned to stone. Hearing her sister's voice, she burst into tears and collapsed onto a rock. All that remained were tears and belated words of apology: "I know, sister, please forgive me." The older sister, too, turned to stone.

The wild animals, as if understanding the people's feelings, dug up the earth to build graves and sowed Pray tree seeds around the hill, which over time accumulated to form the Chư Mom Ray mountain, or the brocade mountain. "The villagers of Bar Gốc still preserve the brocade weaving craft as a way to remember the old story. The elders always tell their children and grandchildren to live with love, and not let suspicion shatter the most sacred things," Mrs. Y Sơi recounted.

Mr. Vu Dinh Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Sa Son commune (Sa Thay district), said that Bar Goc village currently has about 100 households and nearly 670 inhabitants, and their lives are gradually improving. The village has been selected as a tourist village of the district. Many residents have received training in tourism skills, and dozens of artisans are ready to perform gong music for tourists. (to be continued)