Feature story

New rhythm of lifeupstream of Nam Non

Tien Dong • January 8, 2025 06:38

For the past few months, every time we travel along National Highway 16, which runs across western Nghe An province, through My Ly commune, we are surprised to see many piles of scrap wood and dry firewood, neatly cut and stacked along the roadside. Upon inquiry, we learned that these are "gifts from nature" that the locals collect from the Nam Non River after each flood...

Harvesting season... "gifts from heaven"

We visited Hoa Ly village, My Ly commune, on a late day in 2024, when recently, long stretches of firewood and scrap timber from upstream, carried by floods, had drifted here. It could simply be called... trash, but interspersed among these patches of waste were opportunities for local people to find ways to make a living.

In fact, not just now, but since ancient times, the Nam Non River has been a guarantee of survival and sustainable development for many generations of people in Ky Son and Tuong Duong who live along its banks. From fishing with nets, rowing boats to ferry people across the river, to collecting firewood – a "gift from nature" that flows downstream after each rainy season.

Mr. Xi said that since September, when floods from upstream began to pour in, the people of Hoa Ly village in particular and My Ly commune in general, where the Nam Non River meanders through, have been going to the riverbanks to... watch for firewood. That is, they monitor to see if any wood or firewood floats down from upstream and then go out to collect it. Whenever they spot wood or firewood floating on the river surface, they quickly prepare boats, nails, and ropes to paddle out and collect it. After reaching the log, they nail it tightly and tie it to the shore. They wait until the floodwaters recede and the current is no longer strong, then they cut it into shorter pieces and transport it ashore.

Mr. Xi and Ms. Xuyen shared that this activity brings in a considerable income. Since the beginning of the flood season, the couple has salvaged more than 50 cubic meters of wood, selling it for over 40 million VND. That's a significant amount for the people here.

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After spotting logs or firewood floating downstream, they would take a boat, along with nails and rope, and tie and anchor them to the shore. They would wait until the floodwaters receded and the current subsided, then cut the wood into shorter pieces and transport it ashore.

Mr. Luong Van Xi - Hoa Ly village, My Ly commune

Not only Xí's family, but many groups in the village also participated in salvaging this "gift from nature." The group of brothers Lô Văn Dương, Lô Văn Hòa, and Lô Văn Tớn have become a professional wood-scavenging team. They equipped themselves with chainsaws, knives, and axes to quickly process the wood after collecting it. The wood is split into neat square blocks and stacked along National Highway 16 to sell to buyers from neighboring communes such as Mường Lống and Huồi Tụ. Each block of wood costs between 400,000 and 600,000 dong, depending on the quality.

The harvesting of driftwood provides a significant income for the people of Hoa Ly. In a context where local agriculture relies heavily on slash-and-burn farming, this additional source of income helps people improve their lives and alleviate economic pressure.

In particular, with hard work, a family can earn from a few million to tens of millions of dong in just a few months. This not only helps people cover their daily living expenses but also supports the purchase of household items or investment in their children's education.

However, collecting this "gift from nature" is not always easy. And it's not every year that there's enough wood and firewood for people to collect. Sometimes the wood and firewood are gathered in a different section of the river, along Nhon Mai, Mai Son, or even as far down as Huu Khuong in Tuong Duong. Not to mention, people participating in collecting firewood face many dangers, especially when rowing boats out into the middle of the river to pull the wood. The strong floodwaters can sweep away or capsize the boats, causing unexpected accidents.

Nam Non power source

The Nam Non River, 102km long, originates in Hua Phan province (Laos), then flows into Vietnam at Keng Du commune, through My Ly (Ky Son district), and then down to Tuong Duong to merge with the Nam Mo River at Cua Rao (Xa Luong commune), "giving birth" to the Ca River (also known as the Lam River).

Throughout its journey, the Nam Non River gathers small streams to form a powerful, vibrant river. As it crosses the Vietnam-Laos border at Keng Du commune, the Nam Non River becomes a majestic natural symbol with hundreds of large and small waterfalls and rapids, resembling a labyrinth of obstacles on the river, challenging the courage of those who row it.

Along the Nam Non River, most Thai men in Huu Khuong, My Ly, and Keng Du communes are proficient in navigating the waterways. The Nam Non River nurtured them as they grew up. They can navigate rapids and fish, as these activities are essential for their daily lives and transportation. They are familiar with the rapids, channels, rocks, and whirlpools of the river.

I was fortunate enough to travel by boat across the Nam Non River in my early days as a journalist. Back then, roads from the central district of Tuong Duong to highland communes like Nhon Mai, Mai Son, or up to My Ly and Keng Du (Ky Son) were not as convenient as they are now, so the Nam Non River became a vital artery for transporting people from the lowlands to the border region and vice versa.

When the Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir filled with water, many rapids and waterfalls on the Nam Non River gradually sank to the bottom of the reservoir. Even so, the Nam Non River still retains its pristine beauty, especially the section from My Ly commune to the Vietnam-Laos border. It flows silently, quietly irrigating the Thai villages along its banks. It has become a source of cultural life for the local people, witnessing countless changes throughout history.

Located not far from Hoa Ly village, upstream along the Nam Non River, we visited Yen Hoa village. Right next to the riverbank is the ancient Xop Lot tower, also known as Yen Hoa tower, a historical architectural structure.

No one knows exactly when this tower originated or who built it. All that is known is that, in the legends and tales passed down from ancestors to descendants after the rice wine festival, there are many sacred stories about the ancient tower. Some say it was built in the 7th century, others say the 12th century. But some offer a later theory, that it was built in the 16th century when Theravada Buddhism from Thailand, via Laos, arrived here.

They say that their ancestors built it to guide the villagers' descendants towards the values ​​of truth, goodness, and beauty. Sometimes, rumors circulate that it is a very sacred pagoda, so much so that a government official from the lowlands, after shooting at the "jewel eye" at the top of the pagoda, was punished by the gods and blinded...

This tower, standing at 21.91 meters tall, is constructed from layers of stacked bricks, bonded together with a durable mortar. Over the centuries, its beauty has endured, highlighted by its exquisite and artistic motifs such as lotus flowers, chrysanthemums, cloud patterns, Bodhi leaves, and majestic Buddha statues.

Despite being steeped in mysterious stories, the ancient Xop Lot tower has not escaped the ravages of time and is in danger of collapsing at any moment.

Despite being steeped in mysterious stories, the ancient Xop Lot tower has not escaped the ravages of time and is in danger of collapsing at any moment.

Mr. Vi Van Son, Secretary of the Party Committee of My Ly commune, said that on both sides of the Nam Non River, the section passing through My Ly commune is home to Thai ethnic villages that have lived there for generations. The river divides My Ly in two, but it cannot separate the close-knit community.

A positive development is that on May 16, 2024, in Decision No. 1188/QD-UBND, the Provincial People's Committee approved the list of 15 historical relics requiring urgent repair in the province in 2024. Among these, the Provincial People's Committee urgently requested the development of a plan for the urgent repair of the Xop Lot Tower, an architectural and artistic relic in Ky Son district. Currently, the restoration of this ancient tower is underway. This presents an opportunity for the tower to be revived and potentially endure for generations to come.

Leaving My Ly, I left behind the verdant hues of the mountains reflected in the Nam Non River. Looking at the river, both gentle and powerful, I understood that the Nam Non is not just a river, but the soul of this entire region – a place that holds countless memories and is an enduring symbol of western Nghe An province.