Vam Co Dong Chronicle Part XIII: Khmer people in Hoa Hiep commune

Monk San Van Xien tells about Chung Rut pagoda in Hoa Hiep.

On July 11, 2024, at Chung Rut Pagoda, the People's Committee of Hoa Hiep Commune organized a gift-giving program for students and poor Khmer people in Hoa Hiep Commune. At the ceremony, leaders of the District Women's Union, Lo Go Border Guard Station, Hoa Hiep Commune and Hoa Thanh Town Volunteer Group presented 120 gifts to poor Khmer households; 150 gifts to poor, studious students in Hoa Hiep Commune.

Khmer people donate land to build pagoda

From the ferry station of Nam Chi in the upper reaches of the Vam Co Dong River in Hoa Hiep Commune, Tan Bien District, a few kilometers up is the residence of the Khmer people with 250 households and 1,107 people. Coming here, everyone can easily see the beautiful Chung Rut Pagoda under the shade of green trees.

Currently, the temple is still under construction and decoration. In the lecture hall, a monk is diligently painting murals depicting the Buddha's difficult ascetic practice and enlightenment. On the ceiling of the lecture hall are bold patterns of Southern Buddhism.

On the ceiling of the lecture hall are painted patterns, typical of Southern Buddhism.

On the main altar are three statues of Buddha Shakyamuni and a statue of the four-faced Brahma. The upper floor of the lecture hall is where the pentatonic musical instruments, Chhay-dam drums and masks are kept, followed by traditional farming and fishing tools. Next to the Buddha altar is a cabinet containing many Buddhist scriptures in Khmer.

Chung Rut Pagoda is called Risathia Ratanaul Dom, which means Great Blessing. But the popular name of the pagoda is Chung Rut, which means “rice pot”, after the name of the squirrel here. According to monk San Van Xien - the manager of this pagoda, this Khmer village on the Vam River is called Rice Pot because during the war, the enemy often came to loot and burn houses, so the Khmer people had to make rice pots to hide rice in the forest, and when the raids were over, they could return to the village and still have food and seeds for the next season.

Khmer children in Hoa Hiep commune play happily in the yard of Chung Rut pagoda.

A hundred years ago, the old pagoda was built in Soc Thiet village, but bombs from war burned down the entire pagoda. In 1991, Mrs. Mon Them - the grandmother of monk San Van Xien donated her family's land and received donations from kind-hearted Buddhists to build the current Chung Rut pagoda.

Currently, Chung Rut Pagoda is a place to preserve and promote the Khmer cultural traditions of Hoa Hiep commune. In the pagoda grounds, there is also a Khmer language class for children, taught by monk San Van Xien. This monk's wish is to not only impart the language but also the traditional culture to the children in the hamlet.

And donate land to build schools

Opposite Chung Rut Pagoda is Hoa Dong A Primary School, also donated ^4,320m2 of land by Ms. Mon Them. The school was built to national standards, and last school year, it attracted about 300 students, of which 1/3 were children of the Khmer ethnic group. With this noble gesture, in 1999, Ms. Mon Them received a letter of commendation from President Tran Duc Luong.

Four generations of Mrs. Mon Them's family gather to chat in the traditional stilt house.

In the letter, the President wrote: “Reading the Tay Ninh newspaper, I learned that your family, a Khmer family in a remote border area, although life is still difficult, has set a typical example of wholehearted dedication to the cause of education . For the sake of “literacy for children and grandchildren”, your family donated ^4,320m2 of land to build a school. That is a noble act, a good example for everyone to follow. I praise and commend your family for that good deed. I wish you and your family good health and happiness.”

Arriving in Soc Thiet, Chang Rut visited the Khmer people. We saw that there were still many wooden stilt houses, typical of Southern Khmer architecture. Surrounding the houses were bamboo banks and cowsheds. In the wooden stilt house, four generations of Mrs. Mon Them's family still regularly gathered to chat and eat. Mrs. Mon Them is 98 years old this year but is very healthy, clear-headed, and cheerful.

Khmer children are naughty and adorable

Talking about donating land to build a pagoda and a school, Mrs. Mon Them said: "During the war, after the peace, we returned to the village. The old pagoda had no Buddhists nearby. The villagers were afraid that the monks would not have food to eat, so I donated land to build a new pagoda. Then, seeing that the children in the village had to go to school too far away, the children could not walk, so I donated land to the State to build a school.

From ancient times until now, the customs here have not changed, but life has changed a lot. Before, the roads were dirt roads, and when it rained, they were very muddy, making it very difficult for people to travel. Thanks to the State making asphalt roads, traveling is more convenient."

Mr. San Keo, Mrs. Mon Them's son, continued: "When I was young, life was difficult due to the war and I did not have a full education. When I returned here, I was already old and did not have the conditions to go to school. I only knew how to farm to make a living. Here, people of all ethnic groups live in harmony and solidarity with each other like brothers."

In Phum Chang Rut, there are still many stilt houses typical of Southern Khmer architecture.

During the years of fighting against the Americans to save the country, the Khmer people of Hoa Hiep commune had a tradition of being attached to the revolution. Soc Thiet was once considered a "Viet Cong war zone". When the enemy swept through, they only dared to go to Xom Giua and did not dare to go deep into the hamlets. In the famous Junction City sweep, Soc Thiet and Chang Rut had a whole Khmer guerrilla squad participating in the fight against the Americans.

Ms. Phung Thi Mai Huyen - Vice Chairman of Hoa Hiep Commune People's Committee said that with the attention of leaders at all levels, there is now enough electricity, roads, schools and medical stations to serve the lives of ethnic people. The economic , cultural and spiritual life of the Khmer people here is constantly improving.

Poor, studious students in Hoa Hiep commune are preparing to receive gifts.

There are many programs and policies to support the Khmer ethnic people in the area. In addition, the People's Committee of the commune also mobilizes benefactors to visit and give gifts to people in difficult circumstances in the commune on the holidays of the Khmer ethnic people. In addition, there are also policies to support Khmer women to develop their family economy.

In particular, in the new rural construction program of Hoa Hiep commune, the Khmer ethnic people here have made many contributions to donating land for rural roads, building schools, and participating in protecting security and order in the commune.

The rice granaries of the Khmer villagers of Hoa Hiep may be sometimes empty, sometimes full, but the affection of the people of Soc Thiet and Chung Rut for the revolution and the community is like the Dong Vam Co River, never dry.

Ocean

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/ky-xiii-dong-bao-khmer-o-xa-hoa-hiep-a176591.html