Natural masterpieces: The roof of the Central Highlands

Ngoc Linh is a mountain range that stretches across the four provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai. With an altitude of 2,605 m above sea level, Ngoc Linh peak is considered the roof of the Central Highlands.

And also on that beautiful towering mountain, since ancient times the Xo Dang people have passed down a legend to explain why they do not eat dog meat.

The Great Flood

For generations, the Xo Dang people in Mang Ri commune, Tu Mo Rong district ( Kon Tum ) have considered Ngoc Linh mountain as the place to entrust their lives. This sacred mountain is the place to shelter the souls of the dead and nurture the bodies of the living.

Ngoc Linh mountain range stretches across 4 provinces: Kon Tum, Gia Lai , Quang Nam and Quang Ngai.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

Village elder A Bia (75 years old, Pu Ta village, Mang Ri commune) said that in the early days, many tribes lived in harmony at the foot of Ngoc Linh mountain. At first, they lived in harmony with each other, with love and care. However, over time, jealousy and envy arose among the tribes. They tried to kill each other to fight over land and property.

From above, seeing people becoming more and more violent and ugly, Yang (Heaven) immediately sought to eliminate the seeds of evil.

In a village, there was a couple. After just a few months of marriage, the husband had to join the war with another tribe and could not return. Ironically, when the woman heard that her husband had died in battle, she also found out that she was pregnant. At that time, Yang descended to earth, transformed into a dog with ulcers, wandering around the village. Everyone chased it away because of its ugly appearance and foul smell. Only an orphan boy took care of the poor dog. However, that boy was so poor, all day he only looked for wild fruits and stream fish to survive, so he could not take care of the sick dog. "I can't raise you... go, find someone who has rice, who has rice to live on", the boy coaxed. As if understanding the boy's intention, the dog groaned softly, then quietly walked away.

It continued to be abandoned by people until it collapsed in front of the widow’s house. Seeing the pitiful dog, she went into the forest to find medicinal leaves to treat it. After nearly a month, the dog was completely cured and considered her its owner.

One stormy night, the dog barked loudly, waking her up and leading her out of the stilt house. The two of them crossed the forest and climbed the slope to a cave near the top of Ngoc Linh mountain. Just as they were about to enter, a great flood poured down, submerging the entire village. The rain and flood lasted for many days. When the water reached the mouth of the cave, the woman went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl. Strangely, as soon as the child started crying, the water began to recede.

The Xo Dang people have lived at the foot of Ngoc Linh mountain for generations.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

Every day, the dog went up the mountain to hunt and bring food back for the widow and her child. Thanks to that, the mother and child survived the disaster. When the water receded, they went down the mountain to look for people but there was no one left, so they built a house at the edge of the forest, living alone in the middle of the wilderness.

Years passed, the daughter grew up and the dog became old and weak. Before it died, it told the mother in a dream that her lover was waiting for her on the other side of the mountain. Listening to her mother's story, the girl crossed the mountain and the forest and in a bamboo bush by the stream, she met a young man weaving a basket. She immediately approached him and took him home. They talked and discovered that he was the boy who had sheltered the dog in times of trouble. He was also the only survivor of his tribe.

When the young couple grew up, the widow took the young man as her son-in-law. From the small home, people grew and multiplied, becoming the Xo Dang community as it is today. They taught their children and grandchildren to love and care for each other, to build a rich and beautiful society so that Yang would no longer punish them.

The Xo Dang people at the foot of Ngoc Linh mountain still preserve the traditional beauty left by their ancestors.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

"To remember the loyalty of dogs, the Xo Dang people made an oath not to eat dog meat. The widow was considered by the entire community as the ancestor, which also explains why the Xo Dang people follow a matriarchal system. Ngoc Linh mountain is the sacred mountain associated with the survival of the Xo Dang people," said old man A Bia.

Capital of medicinal herbs

Not only is it the source of mysterious stories and legends, Ngoc Linh mountain is also a treasure trove of both tourism and medicine.

Favored by nature, this place has produced many precious medicinal herbs that cannot be found anywhere else, such as Ngoc Linh ginseng, red ginseng, schisandra... This is the great strength for the Xo Dang people in Tu Mo Rong to produce products with their own characteristics.

Mr. Vo Trung Manh, Chairman of Tu Mo Rong District People's Committee, said that the locality has now become one of the three key medicinal plant growing areas of Kon Tum with more than 4,000 hectares of medicinal plants. Of which, more than 3,000 hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng have turned Tu Mo Rong into the largest Ngoc Linh ginseng growing area in the country.

Not only building the locality into a key medicinal plant development area, Tu Mo Rong District is also implementing many activities to promote scenic spots in the area to attract tourists. With the advantage of Ngoc Linh ginseng, Tu Mo Rong hopes to create special tourism products to attract businesses and tourists to experience.

"When coming here, tourists can visit the towering mountains, majestic waterfalls, experience visiting Ngoc Linh ginseng gardens, medicinal herb gardens. Not only that, Tu Mo Rong also has a cultural treasure imbued with the traditional identity of the Xo Dang people, preserved through many generations...", Mr. Manh said. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-tuyet-tac-thien-nhien-noc-nha-tay-nguyen-185250528201006734.htm