Strangely, the ancient gong set is 'not for sale'.

(Baonghean.vn) - The ancient gong set, believed to be the only one remaining in Khe Ran village, Bong Khe commune, Con Cuong district (Nghe An province), has been passed down through many generations in the family of Mr. Ha Van Hinh. The strange thing about this gong set is that it 'cannot be sold,' and selling it would bring misfortune.

Mr. Ha Van Hinh said that he had seen the gong set as it is today since his childhood.

In the stilt house built in 1980 by Mr. Ha Van Hinh's family in Khe Ran village, the set of gongs and drums is carefully preserved. Mr. Hinh said that he only takes them out to clean and hang them up during Tet (Lunar New Year) or when there are weddings or other family events that require borrowing.

All three gongs are cast in bronze. The passage of time has caused some areas on the gongs to rust, but the sound of each gong remains deep and resonant. The largest has a diameter of nearly 50 cm, while the other two have diameters of 45 cm and nearly 40 cm respectively.

The set of gongs and drums is treasured by Mr. Ha Van Hinh's family and is only hung up when necessary, such as during festivals, holidays, and weddings.

Mrs. Viet, Mr. Hinh's mother, who is over 80 years old, said: "The gong set has been passed down through five generations. When I married into the family more than 60 years ago, I already saw this gong set. Initially, the set had four gongs, but one was swapped out, so the sound wasn't right. The family threw it away decades ago," she said.

The gong set is kept by the family as a treasure because they believe that selling it would bring great misfortune to the family. Even the buyer would not have peace of mind.

According to local legend, the ancient gong set belonging to Mr. Hinh's family was once a family heirloom of a high-ranking official during the feudal era. One day, the family was persecuted and forced to bury their valuables in various places. One member of the family, guided by divine intervention, unearthed the gong set and brought it home.

Gongs are an important part of the cultural and spiritual life of the highland communities.

Some parts of the gong's surface have rusted, but the sound remains deep and resonant.

Later, in times of hardship, this person sold the gongs to pay off debts. Since then, there has always been illness in the family. A fortune teller said that the family had to find a way to get the gongs back in order to have peace. However, the person who bought the gongs has disappeared without a trace, leaving the family very confused.

One day, the family received the gongs back, personally returned by the buyer. It turned out that the buyer of this sacred object had also suffered misfortune while possessing it in his home.

However, stories of this mythical nature are quite common in the Thai community. Many families possess bronze statues, gongs, silver ingots, etc., but cannot sell them. It is believed that these sacred objects originally belonged to the gods. Those who possess them are only allowed to worship them and cannot sell or transfer them. Even if they are stolen, both the owner and the thief will face misfortune.

Coincidentally, the families who preserved these artifacts were all quite prosperous.

Huu Vi - Dao Tho