Upstream of the Giang River

(Baonghean)This was our first time traveling upstream on the Giang River, so all of us journalists were excited. We had heard the saying "rice from Muong Qua, fish from the Giang River" for a long time, and stories about the pristine Dan Lai villages nestled amidst the lush green mountains spurred us on, making us forget the scorching heat radiating down on the river...

The Thai people in Con Cuong call the Giang River Nam Khang, so sometimes the Kinh people in the area also call it Khe Khang. Those who worked in forestry a few decades ago still recount that back then, to reach the headwaters of the river, it took two days of trekking through the forest, and it took the same amount of time to bring the timber and forest products (mainly rattan and bamboo) down the river by raft to the collection point to sell to middlemen. Those raft trips down the Giang River were a real battle of wits between humans (using rudimentary, fragile rafts) and the fierce waves. But that was many years ago, when the Giang River was still powerful. Now it has become gentler because the old-growth forest has been exploited to the point of exhaustion and the river's water volume has decreased. Only now are people beginning to pay attention to the tourism potential the river can offer.

In the summer, locals and visitors alike flock here to cool off and enjoy the beautiful scenery, especially since the Pha Lai irrigation dam was built (exactly 10 years ago). The dam created a lake that extends deep into the foothills and is less than 20 km from the center of Con Cuong town. Tourists rent motorboats from the locals in the nearby Xieng village to travel up and down the lake every weekend. Mr. Ngan Van Mai, the head of Xieng village, said that even though it's only the beginning of the tourist season, dozens of people rent boats to explore the Giang River every day. Thanks to this, boat owners earn a good income in the summer. The influx of tourists also brings in more customers for the brocade fabrics made by the villagers.

One early summer morning, during the peak of the hot season, the Con Cuong forest region was experiencing a scorching 40°C heat. The riverbank was eerily quiet, like something out of prehistoric times. It wasn't until nearly 10 a.m. that the first boat to travel upstream on the Giang River arrived. Earlier, Border Guard soldier Bui Xuan Manh from Mon Son Post had mentioned that the Dan Lai people upstream were in the middle of their harvest season and rarely went to the market, making it difficult to find boats. Fortunately, this morning there was a boat carrying goods for the grocery vendors in Khe Bung village. The boat owner, Phan Van Thang from Xieng village, near the riverbank, was small in stature, dark-skinned, but had a determined look and a smile when a camera was pointed at him. He said he had been operating the boat for over two years, making a trip every other day. When going in, he carried fuel, rice, salt, and groceries for the villagers; when returning, he carried passengers. The passengers were usually villagers going to the commune center to shop, visit relatives, or sometimes young men from the village who spontaneously hopped on the boat for a "fun trip" during their leisure time between farming seasons.

After a few minutes of preparing seats for the passengers, the boat owner started the engine. Just half a minute later, the boat turned its bow towards the upstream. In an instant, we were immersed in a lush green landscape of mountains, forests, and water. The stifling heat of the summer days suddenly vanished... This was the widest part of the river, easily over a hundred meters. Small watchtowers and cornfields crisscrossed the hillsides. The boatman leisurely pressed the accelerator, propelling the boat forward. The riverbank receded into the distance and disappeared from view.

Knowing we were journalists, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, a resident of Bac Son village, Mon Son commune, struck up a conversation: "It's going to be tough soon." Indeed, after more than half an hour of smooth rowing, the river narrowed, with some sections easily traversed to the other side in just a few steps. In these narrow passages, the water was squeezed and became more turbulent.

Mr. Phan Van Thang shared: “During the high water season, only skilled boatmen dare to navigate the rapids in such narrow stretches. Usually, when crossing the rapids, passengers are advised to disembark and walk across the dangerous section before returning to the boat. But in the summer, the water is calmer, so we just have to sit still and not move, lest it affect the boat's operation. When crossing the rapids, the assistant helmsman stands at the bow of the boat, struggling to push the pole to help the boat move forward. In some sections, the river water only reaches the assistant helmsman's knees, and he has to jump in and pull the boat with all his might to move it. Thus, the boatman's struggle with the Giang River lasts for more than two hours before reaching Co Phat village, one of the two Dan Lai villages along the river.”

The village now has concrete roads leading to the gates of each house. Drinking water is channeled to tanks scattered throughout the village. At the far end of the village, golden rice fields await harvest. Those who fled to this remote, isolated area 200 years ago now know about the concrete roads and no longer have to go down to the river to fetch water. However, the villagers' lives are still not free from hardship. The villages of Co Phat and Khe Bung are located in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park. For several years now, slash-and-burn farming has been banned, leaving the villagers to rely solely on food from their small, low-yielding rice paddies. Harvest season is the most prosperous time for the Dan Lai villagers upstream of the Giang River. But the amount of food harvested is meager, while the number of people per household is increasing due to the high birth rate. Rice grown in the fields usually only lasts for a few months. The main source of income at this time is from the forest. During the rainy season, they harvest bamboo shoots; outside of the bamboo shoot season, the only way to earn money is to go into the forest to gather rattan and bamboo to sell to traders in order to buy rice.

Carrying rice back to the village

Captain Lo Van Ngoan, head of the Co Phat border guard station, was born and raised in Mon Son commune, a border area, so he understands the lives of the Dan Lai people in Co Phat village. He said: “The poor transportation is the main factor keeping the villagers poor. They face many difficulties in exchanging goods and interacting with outside communities. Therefore, it is very difficult to change outdated habits and perceptions. Here, people still go to work late and return home early, and men often gather to drink alcohol all day. Child marriage, although reduced, still exists.”

Meanwhile, Mr. La Van Yeu from Co Phat village shared: "Young people here get married and have children as early as 14 or 15 years old without knowing anything about family planning, so it's normal for many couples to have dozens of children, and the problem of child marriage has not yet been resolved."



Children in Co Phat village.

During the day, the villages and hamlets buzz with the sounds of children. Boys and girls, naked, run around the village lanes. In the evening, the adults return from the mountains and forests. At this time, the water tanks are crowded with people carrying water and bathing. In just a moment, when darkness envelops the mountains and forests, the villages and hamlets will fall silent again. The Dan Lai people in the hamlets usually go to bed early and wake up quite late. The crescent moon has already risen over the mountain peaks. After dinner, our group of journalists went to bed early for the journey the next day. The border guards had warned us that there would be no boats going up the Giang River tomorrow. We would have to walk for more than two hours to reach Khe Bung hamlet, the furthest hamlet in Mon Son commune.

While waiting for sleep to come, I pondered the day's events. The Giang River is truly picturesque, but it's not yet a perfect transportation route for the villages upstream. Soon, a road and national power grid will run along this beautiful river, built by the border guards. It represents hope for the arrival of civilization in these villages.

Huu Vi