Ancient Muong along Nam Viec river

(Baonghean) - Located on the Nam Viec River, Muong Dan village appears with ancient features, evoking the depth and thickness of the historical flow. Life has changed but the traditional lifestyle is still preserved by the Thai people here, creating a strange attraction for those who love to explore.

Ancient stilt house roofed with sa mu wood in Muong Dan village (Hanh Dich commune, Que Phong district). Photo: Cong Khang

From Sao Va waterfall - the legendary waterfall in Que land (in Hanh Dich commune - Que Phong), we went upstream Nam Viec, hoping to reach Muong Dan - the place that preserves many "sediments" of Thai culture. The asphalt road winds like a thread through the mountain slopes, through the green forests of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, with thin, floating mists.

The clear and murmuring Nam Viec river is certainly one of the most beautiful rivers and streams in the Western region of Nghe An. It is beautiful because of its countless majestic waterfalls, poetic rocky beaches running along both banks, villages and stilt houses reflecting their shadows, and Thai women diligently catching fish and shrimp. The harmony between the beauty of nature and human life has created the charm of the Nam Viec river.

After about 10 kilometers, climbing up a fairly high slope, looking down at the valley ahead, Muong Dan appeared faintly with clumps of trees, houses, and cinnamon forests tinged with the yellow color of the summer sunlight. The heat seemed to have stopped out there, leaving this place with the coolness radiating from the streams and the vast green forests. Not in a hurry to go down to the village, we lingered on the top of the slope to admire the scenery of Muong Dan from a distance to find something different. And what was easy to see was the ancient features evoked by the stilt houses built in the ancient architectural style, most of which were roofed with sa mu wood.

In Thai villages, very few places use samu wood to roof their houses, only a few villages in Tri Le commune (also in Que Phong district), which is at high altitude and close to Mong villages. In the past, samu wood roofing was considered the identity of the Mong community, because their living space is often associated with high mountain peaks, with temperatures lower than normal, surrounded by vast samu forests.

Therefore, the sa mu roofs in Muong Dan can be considered a special feature, enough to arouse curiosity and surprise for visitors from the lowlands. However, the Thai people often cut the wooden panels into smaller and shorter pieces, which are laid out on the roofs in neat and straight rows. Along with that, the tall rows of areca trees in the garden, swaying gently in the light breeze, add to the ancient beauty of the Muong village, giving the feeling of being lost in an ancient and very prosperous land.

Ancient stilt houses roofed with sa mu wood and tall rows of areca trees are typical features of Muong Dan village (Hanh Dich commune, Que Phong district). Photo: Cong Khang

The Muong Dan people are very hospitable. As soon as we set foot in the village, we were greeted with friendly smiles, warm handshakes and sincere greetings. We visited the house at the beginning of the village. The man was busy with his weaving work. Seeing the guests, he was clearly happy. He paused his work, poured some water and chatted with them. He said his name was Ha Van Hung (70 years old), and the village name was Na Xai.

Muong Dan is the old name, now divided into Na Xai (more than 120 households) and Hua Muong (nearly 80 households), two villages separated by a slope. People from other regions often call this place Muong Dan, and Na Xai and Hua Muong people who go abroad often say that their house is in Muong Dan. The old name Muong is deeply imprinted in the memory like layers of sediments deposited over the flow of time, containing the pride of the residents in the upper reaches of the Nam Viec River.

Regarding the time of opening the village and establishing the Muong, up to now, no one in the Thai people of Na Xai and Hua Muong knows clearly, they only know that Muong Dan has existed for a long time and that dozens of generations have lived on this land. Mr. Ha Van Hung remembers that his grandfather used to tell him about the origin of the Muong village, but it has been so long that he can no longer remember much. He only knows that about 300 years ago, the ancestors in Lai Chau and Dien Bien regions, due to lack of land to live and slash-and-burn farming, had to go find new lands to open the village and make a living.

They divided into groups of relatives and blood relatives, followed the Vietnam - Laos border, and then set foot in the western region of Nghe An. Arriving at the border between Nghe An and Thanh Hoa, a group of Thai Thanh people followed the Nam Viec River and found a valley that was not large but fertile. There were streams and swamps to reclaim, the mountains and forests were not too steep or dangerous. The group of migrants from the Northwest decided to stop and open up villages and establish villages. The first thing they did was to build a house, and split sa mu wood to make a roof. Because here, in the middle of the Pu Hoat forest, at that time, there were thousands of sa mu trees...

Thai Muong Dan women at the loom. Photo: Ho Phuong

Soon, the Thai community turned this place into a prosperous village with spacious houses, vast cinnamon forests and fertile terraced fields and named it Muong Dan. Along with production and animal husbandry, Muong Dan women have long been famous for cotton growing and weaving. Compared to similar products, Muong Dan brocade products are often smoother, more durable, with more sophisticated patterns. This comes from the guaranteed materials, combined with the meticulousness, diligence and skillful, delicate hands of the women.

Up to now, through hundreds of years of changes, the Muong Dan people still maintain the profession of growing cotton and weaving with unique features that bear their identity. For generations, in front of the stilt house porch, there is always a loom, every night there is the sound of the shuttle clattering, the sound of laughter and chatter. Ms. Ha Thi Phuong - one of the most beautiful weavers in Hua Muong village said: "Women here go to the fields during the day to weed rice, go down to the stream to catch fish, and at night they come back to weave skirts, shirts and scarves. That ancient lifestyle is still preserved by their descendants and is considered a joy."

Ms. Phuong added that, in addition to preserving the traditional weaving craft, the women in Muong Dan also preserve Thai folk songs and dances. Every time the village celebrates Tet or has a festival, the "Xap - lam - nhuon - xuoi" melody resounds; mixed with the sound of gongs, cymbals, panpipes, and pi; mixed with the joyful cheers of the Nam Viec River, the whistling sound of the Pu Hoat forest, creating a bustling symphony. Then, together enjoying the wine in the jar, getting drunk on the charming "lam vong" melody, the singing echoes even further, surpassing the forests ahead.

Talking about traditional beauty, Mr. Lo Van Chien - Secretary of Hua Muong village Party Cell said: "Muong Dan is located deep in the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, almost isolated from the outside, so it still preserves the cultural identity of Thai, from living space to language, costumes, music and customs and practices". These are extremely favorable factors for developing community tourism, helping local people here have more income, improve their lives and contribute to promoting the beauty of their homeland.

It is known that Que Phong district is planning to preserve the ancient Thai cultural space in Na Xai and Hua Muong villages to preserve identity and develop tourism. This is a reasonable direction, because Muong Dan has a prime location, located between the majestic Pu Hoat forest and the poetic Nam Viec river, with the majestic Bay Tang waterfall considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Nghe An. Recently, there have been groups of tourists coming to Muong Dan to explore the wildness, admire the scenery, bathe in the Bay Tang waterfall and experience the unique cultural features of the Thai community.

Thai Muong Dan women in the middle of the Nam Viec river. Photo: Ho Phuong

In addition, the people of Na Xai and Hua Muong villages are making efforts to restore the Quỳ cinnamon tree - a plant species that used to be typical of the land of Que Phong. According to the data we have, from 2015 to now, up to 2/3 of the households have switched to growing Quỳ cinnamon in quite large quantities, especially Mr. Ha Van Hung who planted up to 4,000 trees, and Mr. Ha Van Tuyen 2,000 trees.

Compared to other raw wood materials, the growth and harvest time of cinnamon trees is twice as long but brings greater economic value and higher income. And more importantly, the expansion of the area of ​​Quy cinnamon contributes to the preservation and development of precious native trees, promising a new direction and prospect, in line with the development policy of the locality...

Leaving Muong Dan, we still have many regrets, many lingering feelings in our hearts. Because of the short time, we only had time to admire the charming and majestic scenery, to see the primitive village, and had not had time to experience all the cultural values ​​passed down from many previous generations. We will make another appointment to go upstream Nam Viec, to return to the rich and beautiful ancient Muong...

Cong Khang