(Baonghean.vn) - As a purely Thai commune in the mountainous district of Quy Chau, Dien Lam possesses a pristine beauty that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who visits. Along with its picturesque scenery, the lives of the local people continue peacefully, with many unique cultural traditions passed down through generations.
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| Dien Lam has 586 households of the Thai ethnic minority with 2,500 inhabitants. The lives of the people mainly depend on agricultural production and forest cultivation. Because there is little flat land, the people always make the most of it for cultivation with the spirit of "not letting the land rest, not stopping our hands". |
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| Now, instead of burning forests for slash-and-burn agriculture, the villagers have boldly reclaimed and cultivated large areas of land for wet rice farming. Currently, the entire commune has more than 90 hectares of land for two rice crops per year. The photo shows the wet rice field of Mr. Quang Van Cuong. To bring water to his fields, he boldly invested over 20 million VND to install a pipeline system from the Cha Lao stream in Co Huong village. Currently, 90 households in the village have nearly 13 hectares of wet rice cultivation like this. |
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| To obtain electricity, people have also designed their own "small hydroelectric power plants" to serve their family's living and production needs. |
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| The peaceful stilt houses have nurtured countless generations of Dien Lam people as they grew up and matured. Despite many changes in life, the people here remain "faithful" to preserving their ethnic culture, especially the stilt houses. Therefore, when visiting any village in the commune, you can easily encounter this familiar image. |
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| In a home, the kitchen is considered the heart and soul, the most important place. It's where family members connect after a tiring day at work, where the family's warmth is kept, and where farmers store their produce. |
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| During bamboo shoot season, people go into the forest to gather them for food. Bitter bamboo shoots are one of the unique dishes of the local people. |
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| Tadpoles from the stream, along with bamboo shoots, are considered a delicacy to offer guests, especially on rainy days. |
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| Women with black teeth and radiant smiles were once the standard of beauty among the Thai ethnic group. For them, it was a subtle charm because "white skin and black teeth" were the characteristic attractive features of Thai women in the past. |
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| Along with the custom of teeth dyeing, the tradition of chewing betel nut is also preserved by the older generation here. |
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| Life has changed a lot, and many generations of Dien Lam have been born and raised there, but no matter who they are or what job they do, they still carry within them the character and unique identity of their people. |
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| The land and people of Dien Lam still hold many interesting things that leave a lasting impression on those who have visited here even once. |
Thanh Quynh
