From ancient pestle sounds to today's heritage

People in Doan Ket village, Bu Dang commune still maintain the custom of pounding rice with a hand pestle in community life. Photo: Tu Huy

Now, the Stieng people are even more proud when their custom of pounding rice with a hand pestle has been included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (VHTTDL), a vivid testament to cultural endurance and national pride in the midst of the cycle of time.

Customs of life - the breath of culture

On June 27, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially included the "Pounding rice with pestles of the Stieng and M'nong people" in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is expected that the Heritage Announcement Ceremony will be held by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai province on November 21, 2025 at the Stieng Ethnic Cultural Conservation Area in Bom Bo commune, along with the Announcement Ceremony of the National Monument in Bom Bo commune. This is an important event, not only honoring traditional cultural values but also opening up a new direction in the work of preserving and promoting the heritages of ethnic minorities in the province.

For the Stieng and M'nong people, pounding rice with a pestle and pestle by hand is an essential part of daily life. Each pounding of the pestle not only produces white rice for family meals but also prepares for festivals, welcoming guests or making wine, an indispensable flavor in community culture.

Doan Ket village currently has 180 households with 6 ethnic groups living there, of which the Stieng people are the majority. Although ready-made rice is very popular, 70 Stieng households here still keep mortars, pestles, winnowing baskets... These are also artifacts of their ancestors, as a way to preserve village memories in the midst of modern life.

Mr. Dieu Huon (residing in Doan Ket village) shared: “In the house, there is always a mortar, pestle, winnowing basket… to occasionally pound rice. Each sao of rice, if the harvest is good, yields about 12 bags. Although the locality has a rice mill, the family mainly pounded the rice by hand, each pounding was enough to eat for a few days.”

Mrs. Thi Mum, now over 60 years old, recalls: “When I was 13 years old, I already knew how to pound rice. During the day, we worked on the fields, and at night, everyone pounded rice together. It was very fun and crowded. The rice was dried in the trays, then pounded. The rice we ate all year round was fragrant, sticky, and we never got bored of eating it.”

Preserving the profession - preserving the soul of the village and hamlet

According to the inventory results of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai, among 67 places where the Stieng and M'nong people live in the province, only Doan Ket village still maintains the traditional rice pounding custom. The whole village currently has about 25 hectares of land for growing wet rice, and each year people maintain 1-2 crops regularly. The harvest not only serves the food needs but also provides raw materials for community rice pounding occasions.

Mr. Dieu Krang, Head of the Front Committee of Doan Ket village, said: “Every time there is a festival, people pound rice together. That is both a way to preserve traditional features and to help children understand the identity of the Stieng people. Today, mortars and pestles are also used to pound flour to cook soup, pound yeast to make rice wine, make cakes, traditional dishes and drinks associated with the spiritual life of the people.”

Young people are continuing the tradition of pounding rice with a pestle and pestle from their ancestors. Photo: Tu Huy

Amidst the new pace of life, the fact that people still maintain the habit of pounding rice with a pestle is not only proof of the vitality of an ancient custom but also shows the awareness of cultural self-preservation.

Mr. Ngo Hoang Vu, Secretary and Head of Doan Ket village shared: "Every year, the locality organizes the Great Unity Festival, integrating demonstrations of the custom of pounding rice with a hand pestle so that people have the opportunity to propagate and teach the younger generation to better understand the cultural values of their nation."

Not only preserved in daily life, the custom of pounding rice with a pestle by hand is also restored and spread in the Stieng ethnic cultural conservation area in Bom Bo commune. Right at the historical location with an area of over 17 thousand square meters, where the "Pounding rice to feed the army" movement was once marked during the resistance war, it has now become a space to recreate traditional cultural life; visitors coming here can directly wear ethnic costumes, hold a pestle to pound rice with the people, an experience that is both interesting and rich in historical significance.

Mr. Do Van Tien Thanh (residing in Dong Xoai ward, Dong Nai province) shared his feelings after experiencing this activity: “When I put on the traditional costume of the Stieng people to pound rice, I felt very comfortable. The first time I experienced this job, I felt both happy and strange and somehow felt the atmosphere and spirit of the old days, when people pounded rice to feed the army during the resistance war”.

From heritage to community livelihoods

Including the "Pounding rice with a pestle and pestle" custom in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List is not only a recognition but also creates a legal basis for activities to preserve and promote values in the community.

“The custom of pounding rice with a hand pestle of the Stieng people has existed for a long time, associated with history and revolutionary spirit. The peak was in 1965, when with only 30 households (80 people), in 3 days and nights, people pounded 5 tons of rice to serve the Dong Xoai - Phuoc Long campaign. Because of that value, we decided to restore and introduce to tourists this activity right at the place where people once contributed to the resistance, so that everyone can better understand a heroic time of the nation.”
Mr. PHAM ANH TUAN , Director of General Service Center of Bom Bo commune, Dong Nai province

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Yen, Director of Dong Nai Provincial Museum said: Along with traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, basket weaving, making rice wine, the practice of pounding rice with a pestle by hand will be consulted by the Provincial Museum to build programs for introduction, education and experiential tourism in the coming time. In addition, the heritage announcement ceremony is also an opportunity to promote the image of Bom Bo commune, the land associated with the song "The sound of pestles on Bom Bo commune" by the late musician Xuan Hong. Many people may know the song but have never set foot in this place, we hope that through the event, many people will come and understand more about the cultural life of the Stieng and M'nong people.

Going through many stages such as pounding, sieving, winnowing… to produce fragrant white rice grains. Photo: Tu Huy

Going through many stages such as pounding, sieving, winnowing... produces fragrant white rice grains. Photo: Tu Huy

When recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, the custom of pounding rice with a pestle and pestle by hand is not only the pride of the people of Dong Nai but also opens up opportunities to connect with cultural and ecological tourism, helping people have more livelihoods, both preserving their profession and developing the local economy. More than a labor activity, pounding rice with a pestle and pestle by hand is a symbol of community spirit, solidarity and perseverance. Each pounding sound is a rhythm connecting the past and the present, between the memories of ancestors and the aspirations of today.

By preserving the traditional method of pounding rice with a pestle, the Stieng and M'nong people in Dong Nai not only preserve a method of labor but also preserve the community spirit, beliefs and national identity. The recognition of the "Tradition of pounding rice with a pestle" as a national intangible cultural heritage has great significance, not only to honor the past but also to support those cultural values to continue to "live" in everyday life today.

Ly Na

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202511/tu-tieng-chay-xuaden-di-san-hom-nay-9ce0b81/