Nguyen Quang Tue (right) often makes field trips to Ba Na villages to record old people singing epics (Photo VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Researchers fear the epics of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands might get lost into oblivion. So they are spending their time and energy to visit the elders in local communities to record epics, and are even hiring people to translate and print the lyrics for preservation. Epics are stories describing the early days of an ethnic group. They talk about the valour of the group’s ancestors in fighting with adversaries and struggling to survive in the wild. The stories have both good and bad characters, with the good folks winning at the end. Epics are either sung or read out loud like stories. Community elders can sing night after night. In the past, the Ba Na used to gather at the village communal house to listen to epics recited by elders. The epic of the Ba Na in Gia Lai province was recognised as the National Intangible … [Read more...] about Researchers save Central Highlands epics
Central highlands
Rice paintings in Kon Tum highlight Central Highlands
Part of its long history in Central Highlands culture are rice paintings. The best place to witness these paintings is at Ho village, located at Bac Kan street, Kon Tum city. The village offers visitors a visual feast in art works. The paintings vary from calligraphic, the daily activities of the local people to cultural features of ethnic groups and their traditional housing near Dak Bla River and big forests. Painter Nguyen Kieu Dang, who founded the Ho village rice painting gallery, said that behind every painting was the happiness of the makers. Each painting holds a different spiritual value. To be able to present that value to viewers is the true bliss of artists,” said Dang. “To me, giving soul to a painting is the hardest thing, since only truthful and vivid sketches create a good painting. The success of the artwork is also decided based on how the color of the rice fits into the painting.” A tourist learns to make a rice painting under the … [Read more...] about Rice paintings in Kon Tum highlight Central Highlands
Central Highlands calls for investment
Central Highlands calls for investmentBy Quoc Hung - The Saigon Times DailyHCMC – The Central Highlands will organize a forum in Buon Ma Thuot City in Daklak Province on September 5 to call for investment into 122 projects with total capital of VND100 trillion.Some investors appreciated the potential of the region but were put off by poor infrastructure and human resources. Preferential policies will be needed to hook them.The forum is expected to draw 500 local and international companies. Local provinces will explain the economic potential, the strengths and the investment policies of the region.The investment promotion forum is organized by the Central Highlands’ Steering Committee, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and authorities of Daklak, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Lam Dong and Dak Nong provinces. The event is part of the year’s national investment promotion program. … [Read more...] about Central Highlands calls for investment
Tourism industry crushed by Central Highland hydropower dams
Several tourism companies along the Serepok River in the central highlands province of Dak Lak have complained about the lack of co-operation from local hydropower plants. The plants have not discharged water to the river, which is making it hard to lure tourists.The companies have reported a serious fall in revenue as the river recently ran dry."While most of visitors to Dak Lak want to go sightseeing on elephants and sail along the Serepok River, but we now can’t provide these tours," the chairman of Ban Don Eco-tourism Company, Nguyen Tru, said. At present there are six dams built by local hydropower plants on the river, which are affecting its natural flow. This means the river usually runs out of water during the six-month dry season.Tru revealed that their revenues had dropped by 40% during the last dry season while this year was even worse, with an 80% fall.Ban Don Eco-tourism Company is among the most heavily affected. The company has been operating around the Thac … [Read more...] about Tourism industry crushed by Central Highland hydropower dams
Ex-district chairman probed for ownership of multiple properties in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
A former district chairman in Vietnam’s Central Highlands is being inspected for his ownership of several properties including a costly villa. Authorities in Dak Lak Province are carrying out an investigation into the assets of Tran Ngoc Quang, ex-chairman of the People’s Committee in the province’s Ea Sup District. Quang’s villa, completed just a few years ago, is located in the Ea Bung neighborhood where the wood-adorned buildings dot the complex, safeguarded by a high brick wall. A VND900 million ($US39,633) road stretches 500 meters to connect the residence with the provincial highway No. 1 while the surrounding remain pockmarked with dirt-filled potholes. The road was originally part of a project developed by the Ea Bung administration aimed at upgrading the commune’s transport infrastructure. Capital for the project, however, was nearly depleted following the renovation to the section leading from Quant’s villa, according to a Dak Lak … [Read more...] about Ex-district chairman probed for ownership of multiple properties in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Central Highlands region promotes sustainable forest management
Localities in the Central Highlands are working to promote sustainable forest management and certification of forests.The scheme has been supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and the project “Forests for Livelihood Improvement in the Central Highlands” (FLITCH).In the region, Dak Lak province has developed five units implementing sustainable forest management, while Lam Dong province has three, and Dak Nong province has one.In Kon Tum, the Dak To Forestry Company was granted the sustainable forest management certificate in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. The province Kon Tum is working to expand the planted-forest area granted the FSC certificate in the Mien Nam Paper Material Company.Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Lam Dong provinces are effectively coordinating with authorised agencies to review and make adjustments to the forest development planning in connection with the … [Read more...] about Central Highlands region promotes sustainable forest management
Central Highlands forests cleared to make room for rubber plants
VietNamNet Bridge - Within a short period, Central Highlands provinces have hurriedly converted hundreds of thousands of hectares of forestland into rubber growing and hydropower development areas. Green rich forests, now listed as ‘poor forests’, were felled to make room for rubber and hydropower projects.Since the government released the decision on developing rubber plantations in Central Highlands in 2009, local authorities have licensed 700 afforestation projects (planting forests, upgrading soil and growing rubber) on a total area of 215,720 hectares of forested land.Dak Lak provincial authorities allowed 90 businesses to do field work on 104 projects planting forests, rubber and other crops. However, the projects have not been implemented. … [Read more...] about Central Highlands forests cleared to make room for rubber plants
Central Highlands’ forests damaged by assigned forest protectors
VietNamNet Bridge - The program of assigning individuals and households to protect forests in the Central Highlands has failed as the protectors destroyed the forests or turned a deaf ear to deforestation.The forests in the Central Highlands play a very important role in the region, and affect the water sources, environment and socio-economic development of central coastal areas, the eastern part of the southern region and Mekong Delta.Dak Lak provincial authorities have allotted 5,026 households and communities, mostly ethnic minority groups in the districts of Ea Sup, Buon Don, Krong Bong, Ea Kar, Cu M’gar and Krong Ana, to manage and protect 36,056 hectares of forestland.To date, 10,610 hectares of forests have been found destroyed, or appropriated and used for other purposes. … [Read more...] about Central Highlands’ forests damaged by assigned forest protectors
Military ammunition warehouse explodes in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Continuous blasts that lasted nearly an hour rocked a central Vietnam community late Wednesday after an ammunition warehouse belonging to a local military brigade exploded, forcing panic-stricken locals to evacuate the area. The explosions started around 10:00 pm at an ammunition warehouse belonging of Armored Tank Brigade 273, stationed in Kdang Commune, Dak Doa District in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, a local resident living more than two kilometers from the explosions, said she was preparing for bed when a series of violent bangs shook her house like an earthquake. “When I got outside, I saw a large column of black and red smoke rising from the military base,” Nga recalled. “I grabbed what I could, put my kid on the motorbike, and drove as far as possible to escape the explosions. They lasted for at least 40 minutes. I felt as if the glass inside my house would shatter,” she said. Three fire trucks were deployed … [Read more...] about Military ammunition warehouse explodes in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Central Highlands beauty crowned Miss Universe Việt Nam
The 25-year-old from the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk, H’Hen Niê, took home the crown, valued at VNĐ2.7 billion (US$119,000), together with a cash prize of VNĐ200 million ($8,800).Hoàng Thị Thùy and Mâu Thị Thanh Thủy were first and second runners-up, respectively.Thùy was the champion of the 2011 cycle of Việt Nam’s Next Top Model, a modeling reality television series, while Thủy was the winner of the show’s 2013 cycle.Forty-two contestants from across the country strutted their stuff on the final night of Miss Universe Việt Nam 2017. They displayed catwalk skills in traditional Vietnamese long robes, evening gowns, and swimsuits.This year is just the third time Miss Universe Việt Nam has been organised to select the country’s representatives to attend international pageants, with the other two times being in 2008 and 2015.The 2017 edition of the competition … [Read more...] about Central Highlands beauty crowned Miss Universe Việt Nam