Soc Bom Bo - a vibrant Stieng cultural space

Soc Bom Bo (Bom Bo commune, Dong Nai province) is a place that has gone down in the heroic history of the nation in the resistance war against American imperialism to save the country. The sound of pestles on Soc Bom Bo is not only the sound of life but also a symbol of the spirit of solidarity and indomitable will of the army and people here.

Today, visitors to Bom Bo can still hear the sound of pestles and gongs echoing everywhere, clearly feeling the cultural and historical breath of this heroic land.

Preserving and transmitting traditional cultural values

Soc Bom Bo is not only a place to preserve culture but also a "red address" in traditional education , an attractive cultural tourism destination.

According to Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Management Board of the Stieng Ethnic Cultural Reserve in Soc Bom Bo, this place is still preserving and promoting the unique cultural values of the Stieng people. The program "Echoing the sound of pestles on Soc Bom Bo" in 2024 has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors, bringing new vitality to the Southeast region (formerly Binh Phuoc ).

What makes Soc Bom Bo so special is that generations of people here still preserve and promote unique traditional features.

Village elder Dieu Len shared: "Our nation's culture must preserve the best things that our ancestors left behind. I always remind my children and relatives to preserve traditional culture so that it does not fade away."

Tour guide introduces artifacts and images at the Stieng Soc Bom Bo Ethnic Cultural Reserve. (Photo: K GỵH/TTXVN)

Thanks to the dedication of the village elders, generations of descendants have been taught traditional crafts such as: brocade weaving, blacksmithing, wine making, gong playing... Mr. Dieu Yo, son of village elder Dieu Len - gong playing artist, shared: "I myself always preserve the identity of the nation and propagate to my descendants not to forget. What the previous generation left behind, I always cherish and preserve to promote better."

Ms. Dieu Thi Xia (38 years old) is one of those who contributes to highlighting the value of ethnic cultural transmission. Although young, she has mastered traditional skills such as brocade weaving and wine brewing.

She shared: “I learned brocade weaving from my grandmother and mother when I was young, so I was passionate about weaving from an early age. Later, with the continued guidance of my grandmother and mother, I was able to master the traditional crafts. Currently, I am also trying to pass them on to the next generation so that the crafts will not be lost.”

Mr. Dieu Nhap, Head of the Bom Bo Village Front Committee, said: "Many S'tieng ethnic families here still preserve ethnic minority culture. Some families still teach their children and grandchildren traditional crafts at home. We ourselves always promote and encourage people to always promote the cultural beauty of the ethnic group to preserve it for the next generations."

Vibrant cultural space, unique tourist destination

The Stieng ethnic cultural conservation area in Bom Bo commune was built in 2012, covering an area of over 113 hectares. This is a unique cultural space, with over 300 valuable artifacts and documents, two main areas including the exhibition space and the festival area - traditional long house. The artifacts vividly recreate the life, customs and heroic history of the Stieng people.

In recent times, the Reserve has attracted a large number of tourists from many localities. In addition to visitors, this is also a destination for learning experiences, organizing extracurricular activities, and educating revolutionary traditions.

Tourists visit the Stieng Soc Bom Bo Ethnic Cultural Reserve. (Photo: K GỵH/ VNA)

Ms. Nguyen Hien (Lam Dong province) came to Soc Bom Bo for the first time and shared: "I have heard a lot about Soc Bom Bo, this is the first time I have set foot in this land and the feeling about the culture of ethnic minorities here is very interesting. The displayed objects are very rich and new."

Dieu Gia Bao, a student in Phu Nghia commune, expressed surprise when he saw many artifacts and images of his ethnic group. Through that, he learned more about their traditional life and activities.

At the exhibition area, the tour guide directly introduces the artifacts, helping visitors better understand the history and meaning of each artifact. Along with investing in restoration, embellishment and additional display of artifacts, the Management Board of the Conservation Area has constantly innovated and integrated promotional activities to attract tourists. In particular, the Board also connects with associations and travel companies to increase the number of visitors and organize many cultural exchange activities.

Ms. Hoai Thi Thu Huong, tour guide of the Soc Bom Bo Stieng Ethnic Cultural Reserve, said: "There are quite a lot of tourists coming to Soc Bom Bo on weekends. We connect with travel companies to bring groups of tourists to visit Soc Bom Bo. In addition, the reserve also welcomes a large number of agencies, prestigious people, and students to visit and learn from experiences in Soc Bom Bo."

In addition to the exhibition space of the Reserve, visitors will listen to the performance of the stone instrument and the pestle sound on Soc Bom Bo, admire the 20-ton stone instrument and the largest gong set in Vietnam.

In the two traditional long houses, many images and artifacts associated with the resistance war have been preserved or restored, helping visitors gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical life here.

Not only a place for exhibition, the Conservation Area is also a space for community cultural activities, where the Stieng people preserve, pass on and promote traditional crafts such as making rice wine, weaving brocade, weaving, hand-forging, and typical ethnic dishes.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Head of the Management Board of the S'tieng Soc Bom Bo Ethnic Cultural Conservation Area, said: "We have organized many events to give artists a place to perform art and promote unique cultural features to tourists. In the coming time, in implementing the consolidation work, we are also advising the locality on a plan to develop culture associated with developing local tourism."

The image of Soc Bom Bo past and present has been more or less vividly recreated at the Soc Bom Bo Stieng Ethnic Cultural Reserve.

With investment and creative methods, and the support of the Stieng ethnic community, this place not only preserves the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities but also becomes a unique cultural tourism destination of Dong Nai province./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/soc-bom-bo-khong-gian-van-hoa-stieng-song-dong-post1054201.vnp