Natural masterpieces: Siu Puong and the petrified love story

Also on that white stream, the indigenous people have long passed down a tearful story to explain the formation of a natural masterpiece.

Mountain Top Waterfall

About 90 km north of Kon Tum provincial capital, Siu Puong waterfall lies nestled in the deep green forest of Dak Na commune (Tu Mo Rong district). At an altitude of 1,600 m above sea level, the waterfall has a pristine, majestic beauty and a cool climate all year round. Because of its picturesque scenery, Siu Puong has long been considered a symbol of this remote highland district.

Since ancient times, people have compared Siu Puong waterfall to the long flowing hair of a sleeping girl in the deep forest. In recent years, local people have known how to take advantage of this majestic beauty to do community tourism , although it is still spontaneous.

Amidst the vast forests flows a waterfall with white foam.

PHOTO: BAN NGUYEN

The journey to Siu Puong is an emotional adventure. From the center of Dak Na commune, visitors cross terraced fields stretching to the horizon. Amidst the velvety green carpet, a small stream meanders like a silver silk ribbon, evoking a sense of peace and poetry.

Past the field, a red dirt road appears through the windy pine forest. The temperature suddenly drops, making visitors feel like they are in a temperate forest. Then, in the middle of the deep forest, a flat, green grass carpet suddenly appears like in the steppe. Few people know that this place used to be an old village. Because of the nomadic custom, the residents here in the past moved to a new, more fertile place. When people left, nature covered it with a smooth, green grass carpet, making this place look like a peaceful, forgotten land.

After crossing the green grassland, because there is no road, visitors must leave their motorbikes and walk through the forest. After about half an hour of climbing mountains and wading streams, the majestic landscape gradually appears. Amidst the majestic mountains, Siu Puong waterfall appears like a veil draped over the rocky mountains.

The waterfall is about 240 m high, not falling vertically but spreading over many layers of rock in a zigzag shape. Below each layer of the waterfall is a clear, beautiful lake. The waterfall has 7 main layers, of which the top layer is nearly 60 m high, the following layers range from 10 - 40 m. Originating from the old forest, permeating through geological layers and mountain rocks, the water of Siu Puong waterfall is also incredibly pure and cool.

On the journey to explore Siu Puong waterfall, visitors will see terraced fields stacked layer upon layer.

PHOTO: PHAM XUAN

Petrified Love Story

Born and raised in Dak Na, Mr. A Dung, Vice Chairman of Dak Na Commune People's Committee, said that for a long time, local people have passed down the story of Siu Puong waterfall.

Mr. Dung said that in the old days, when there were no human footprints in the mountains and forests, wild animals still roamed the fields, and enemies still lurked behind bamboo hedges. At that time, each village had a village chief, who was the owner of the land and the owner of the fields. The fields, the paths, the streams, and all the people in the village were under his control. Whenever the village was in danger, the young men had to listen to the village chief's call.

The village chief of Riep was named Riep. He was a widower, leaving only one son named Kal. Kal was as strong as a kơ nia tree, worked as hard as a buffalo in the field, but was as gentle as a young deer at the head of a stream.

At the end of Riep village, there was a poor old couple who had a daughter named Puong. Puong grew up to be more and more beautiful. Her lips were red like blooming po lang flowers, her hair was as smooth as a stream. When they saw her, the village boys were stunned, but her heart was already devoted to Kal.

That year's rainy season was unusually fierce. Floods from upstream swept away rice fields and crops, leaving the whole village starving. Puong's mother fell seriously ill and passed away. Her father was in dire straits and had to borrow money from the village chief of Riep to survive. With debts piling up and nothing left to mortgage, the village chief of Riep forced him to marry Puong to him.

Then the village of Riếp resounded with the sound of gongs and drums. The wedding lasted all night and all day. The whole village sang and danced, congratulating the village chief on his wife as beautiful as the full moon, while Kal's heart was broken. One night, when the rain was pouring down on the mountains, he left the village and walked deep into the forest. When he was exhausted, he fell down and turned to stone in the middle of the forest.

Siu Puong Waterfall is considered the symbol of Tu Mo Rong mountainous district.

PHOTO: BAN NGUYEN

When Puong heard the news, her heart felt like it was being torn apart. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, when the village chief was sleeping, she escaped. The forest wind whispered to her to show her the way to Kal. She hugged the cold rock and cried until her tears ran out. The rain poured down, her hair turned white and turned into a waterfall, falling down beside Kal rock.

Puong's father went to look for his daughter. The forest wind whispered the way. The next morning, people saw white clouds surrounding the waterfall. The villagers said he had turned into clouds and flown back to protect his daughter.

As for the village chief of Riep, when he woke up and did not see his wife and son, he also hurried to look for them. He went to the place where Kal had turned to stone. Looking at his son and Puong, he burst into tears, banging his head against the rock, blood flowing red on the forest floor. Where he fell, rows of red maple trees grew, red as fire, as blood, as a belated repentance.

"From then on, people called the place where the rock was located Ngoc Kal Mountain, the silver waterfall Siu Puong Waterfall, and the maple forest was named Riep to remember the sad love story," said Mr. Dung.

Nowadays, Siu Puong waterfall and Ngoc Kal mountain have become attractive destinations for tourists to visit and experience. According to Mr. Vo Trung Manh, Chairman of Tu Mo Rong District People's Committee, with its unique potential and natural resource value, Siu Puong waterfall has become an attractive destination for many years. (continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-tuyet-tac-thien-nhien-siu-puong-va-chuyen-tinh-hoa-da-185250516000140228.htm