An exciting journey of listening to the sounds of the forest.

Taking place from July 13-19, 2025, the "Dimensions of the Forest" journey – a community-based educational tourism program – will span numerous villages in the highland districts of Quang Nam province , including Tay Giang, Nam Giang, and Hoa Phu commune (Da Nang). The event is organized by Toom Sara Village and the A Song art group, co-designed by artist Xuan Ha and Ho Thanh Nhan, Director of the Forest Breathe Project.

Spanning seven days with a series of field activities, indigenous cultural experiences, discussions, and workshops with experts, the program aims to connect people, authorities, creative communities, and researchers around pressing issues such as monoculture acacia cultivation, preservation of Co Tu culture, and development of forest garden models. This is also part of artist Xuan Ha's long-term residency and art research program at Toom Sara Village (Hoa Phu, Da Nang ), with the goal of building new awareness about forests, ecological conservation, and sustainable livelihoods in the context of climate change.

Thú vị hành trình lắng nghe tiếng rừng - Ảnh 1. — Toom Sara village (Hoa Phu, Da Nang) is implementing a reforestation initiative with the goal of restoring the native forest ecosystem.

The trip was filled with personal and emotional encounters with the people of the mountains and forests. One of the important stops was the forest garden of A Râl Diêu, residing in Chà Val commune (Nam Giang district). Born in 1997, having studied forestry in Hue , Diêu witnessed his hometown being covered by monoculture acacia forests and realized the urgent need to do something to change it. Inspired by the book "The One-Straw Revolution ," he embarked on restoring natural forests on his ancestral land, hoping that his children would one day live in a healthy environment full of memories.

From Nam Giang, the group traveled to Tay Giang to meet village elder Briu Po – the first Co Tu person to earn a university degree, an outstanding artisan, and a model farmer. Over a meal full of local flavors, Elder Po will recount his journey of preserving the purple ginseng variety and planting forests using traditional methods. For him, the forest is not just a resource but also the soul of the culture. Continuing the journey into the forest, in workshops with Lana – an artist curator from Melbourne – she will share stories about the differences in nature conservation and indigenous culture from Australia.

A key highlight is the field trip, which will take the group to an acacia forest under the guidance of a local resident named Dung and a seasoned forest ranger. Witnessing firsthand the monotony and biodiversity of the acacia forest, many will have a sense of contrast with the diversity of natural forests. This is when the experience becomes an understanding: that not every tree that grows constitutes a forest, and that not all "economic development" is sustainable.

In the final days of the program, conversations with community activist Quách Thanh Thiên and other experts continued to expand the concept of conservation, discussing the value of a sufficient economic life and why community-based educational tourism models are important. The film screening with director Đoàn Hồng Lê concluded the journey with authentic images, highlighting the loss of resources in the forest region. "Dimensions of the Forest," with its genuine community participation, will contribute to raising ecological awareness linked to memory and responsibility.

Comment (0)