Unique rice drying rack of the highland people

(Baonghean.vn) - Rice drying racks used to be associated with the life of people in the highlands. After harvesting, people put the rice on the drying racks to wait until it is completely dry before moving it to the warehouse.

An inverted trapezoid-shaped pair of Na Khom villagers, Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district. Photo: Ho Phuong

Na Khom village, Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district is an ancient Thai village with a history of hundreds of years, where many people who were feudal dignitaries still live mainly by farming.

In the last days of the ninth lunar month, almost the whole village has finished harvesting the upland rice. After the new rice celebration, people set up rice drying racks. The racks are box-shaped or trapezoidal, built next to the house, made of bamboo and wood. Some people design them in the shape of an inverted trapezoid, with the bottom shorter than the top. In general, it is up to you, as long as it is convenient. The rice bundles are placed on the racks, the stalks facing outwards, the rice grains seem to be tightly clamped inside the bamboo racks. People in the lowlands often call it "rice clamps".

For a very long time, rice drying racks have been a part of the life of farmers. The Thai people call it “lac” to store rice. The rice drying racks are built when the harvest season begins. The Thai people often choose a good day to build the “lac”. That is a day of the week according to the Thai calendar. A week has 8 days. People call it a “lucky” day.

The Thai people consider drying rice on racks an effective method. Photo: Ho Phuong

On the appointed day, people cut bamboo, reeds, and wood to build rice drying racks. Those in the nearby fields set up their racks right at home. Those in the far fields set up their racks near the field watchtower. After harvesting, people carry the rice back and stack it in rows called “lien”. At the end of a row, workers build a rack with bamboo sticks around it to make it more stable.

In the past, when people wanted to know whether someone had a good or bad harvest this year, they would ask: “How high is your rice “shaker”?” The short one for a family with little rice was two arm spans high. The highest one was 3 or 4 arm spans. If there was too much rice, people would build a second drying rack.

Actually, the drying rack is just a temporary place to store the upland rice. Once the rice is dry, people will move it to the warehouse. The warehouse is shaped like a stilt house, usually built with 4 pillars. People also wrap an aluminum ring around the pillars to prevent rats from climbing up and destroying the rice.

Rice is piled high on the racks, signaling a bountiful harvest. Photo: Huu Vi

Before transferring the rice from the drying rack to the warehouse, the villagers often hold a small ceremony called the rice warehouse ceremony. From then on, the drying rack is considered to have completed its task. People will leave it to rot and will build a new rack in the next rice season./.

Huu Vi - Ho Phuong