Unique Nam Khien palm forest

(Baonghean) - Going to the Western region of Nghe An, it is easy to come across rows of cool green palm trees. But the most unique and attractive is probably the natural palm forest in Nam Khien village (Nam Can, Ky Son).

Into the largest palm forest in the jungle

Nam Khien is the lowest village of the Mong people that we often see, so it is also the village with the hottest climate in this remote area. Perhaps that is why the land and sky have given the people of Nam Khien large palm forests from generation to generation to dispel the heat of hot summer days.

Cool green palm forest in Nam Khien

Receiving us in the traditional Mong house with sa mu wood roof, Mr. Lau Nhia Xong - Head of Nam Khien 1 village enthusiastically said: "Nam Khien people moved from Pu Lien mountain top to this place more than 20 years ago, but the palm forests here have been with us for many generations. Our grandparents and parents told us that the palm forests existed before the Mong people settled down in these mountains and forests. There are trees that are older than my parents. Old trees die, new trees grow, and so on from generation to generation."

Including Nam Khien 1 and Nam Khien 2 villages (since 2012, Nam Khien village was split into Nam Khien 1 and Nam Khien 2), there are currently 3 palm forests. But the largest palm forest is the palm forest in Nam Khien 2 village.

In the early autumn morning, under the misty fog, clusters of fruit-laden palm trees gradually appeared clearly. Indeed, if there were no sunlight in the early morning mist, we probably would not have been able to recognize the path. Each palm tree canopy spread out to cover a large area of ​​the sky. Elder Lau Xai Phia said that other palm forests could count the number of trees, but no one could count this one. With an area of ​​nearly 3 hectares, the Nam Khien palm forest is considered the largest palm forest in this border area.

Taking us for a walk in the palm forest, Lau No Sua (Nam Khien 2 village) confided: “We were born and raised here, but it took a long time to walk through this palm forest. The elders said that before the village was established, this palm forest was very dark. Many people did not dare to go there because it was pitch black and they did not know which way to go. Anyone who went in had to bring a torch or a flashlight. Later, the village mobilized young men to bring knives to clear the palm forest, which is what it is today.” According to him, this palm forest is now divided among 10 households to manage. The effort is not much, but the management is so that everyone has the responsibility to preserve and care for the palms.

Gifts of the forest

Mr. Lau Ba Sua, who accompanied us, said that although many generations have passed through, this palm forest is still an indispensable part of the lives of the people of Nam Khien village. On rainy and sunny days, when the buffalo and cow pens have not been finished, people often bring their buffalo and cows here to rest. “In the past, when the villagers were still poor, it was difficult to bring sa mu trees from the forest, so we had to come here to get palm leaves to roof our houses. Now life has improved a lot, many families have houses with corrugated iron or tile roofs, but we still use palm leaves to roof the kitchen and the barn for the buffalo and cows to live in,” Mr. Sua added.

People often tie buffaloes and cows under the palm trees so they can rest and avoid the sun.

Indeed, on the way back to the village, we met many people carrying “tra khi” (a tool used by the Mong people to carry things) with large bundles of palm leaves on their backs. The palm tree has the characteristic that the more leaves are cut, the taller the tree becomes and the faster it will produce leaves the next season. Therefore, the people here cut them down for use as a way to clear the trees.

When the Mong people go to the fields or travel far, they always have rice and food packed in palm leaves in their luggage. According to the experience of the elders in the village, food wrapped in palm leaves will last longer and have a more fragrant taste. Surely that is the experience of those who have devoted their lives to this mountain forest.

Palm leaves are used by people to roof their houses.

Before leaving the palm forest, Lau Ba Sua took the opportunity to pick some palms to eat. He chose trees with round, wide leaves to pick fruit. Sua said: “There are two types of palms. The type with small leaves has a thin shell and tastes more bitter. The type with large leaves has a thick shell and tastes sweeter and more fragrant.”

He brought the palm fruits home and put them into a pot of hot water that he had prepared. According to Mr. Sua, when stewing the palm fruits, if the water is too cold, the palm fruits will not be cooked, and if it is too hot, the fruit will become soft and mushy. Therefore, the person who stews them needs to know the water temperature and the stewing time so that the palm fruits will be delicious when taken out. After 10 minutes, he took the palm fruits out and we sat down to enjoy them deliciously.

In the early days of palm season, all the roads in Nam Khien village are as crowded as a festival. Thai people in neighboring villages such as Xoong Con, Luu Phong (Luu Kien, Tuong Duong) come here to buy palm to eat. There are so many palms here, they say they are for sale but they are mainly given to each other as gifts. Each kilo costs 5,000 VND but people rarely take the money. According to Mr. Sua, there are palm trees that yield up to 20 kg of fruit each season. The unharvested fruits fall down, the young trees grow again, and so on from generation to generation.

Article and photos:Dao Tho