Experience community tourism in Khe Ran

(Baonghean) - As one of the pure Thai villages of Con Cuong, since the beginning of 2016, 7/160 households of Khe Ran (Bong Khe commune) have registered to participate in the community tourism model. And we had unforgettable impressions when experiencing a night in the village...

Suspension bridge to Khe Ran village (Bong Khe commune) - community tourism village.

Khe Ran Village (Bong Khe Commune) welcomed us on a sunny afternoon. The soft suspension bridge connecting the road to the village with Con Cuong town, only a 5-minute walk, made visitors from afar feel very close. Standing on the bridge, looking from afar, the village looks like a beautiful picture with lots of green trees, ancient trees and especially filled with the green color of palm leaves, interspersed with the typical stilt houses of the Thai people.

Wine festival night.

The district cultural officer introduced as he walked: Today we will experience a night with the Khe Ran people, see how they do community tourism. And he led us to Mr. Lo Huynh Lan's house - one of the 7 households in the village participating in the community tourism model. From the alley, we could hear the laughter of the women in the tallest and second largest stilt house in the village. The owner, Mr. Lo Huynh Lan, 46 years old, was agile and excited as he went out to the alley to invite guests.

Mr. Lan said: Since joining the community tourism model, everyone in the family has been happy. Happy to welcome guests from afar to visit the family, eat, sleep, and chat together. Even happier is being introduced to many customs and practices of the Thai people, from traditional dishes to weddings, funerals, or building houses, farming, raising children, and taking care of children...

Like his family, in addition to his wife and children, his mother, who is nearly 70 years old, also participates in community tourism. She was the first to respond, encourage and motivate him and his wife a lot.

Ancient banyan tree in Khe Ran village, Bong Khe commune (Con Cuong).

To ensure service to tourists, Mr. Lan's family has invested in rebuilding a clean, closed sanitation system and purchasing adequate bedding and blankets. Currently, Mr. Lan's house can accommodate 4 families to eat and stay at home.

In addition to exploring and learning about the customs and landscapes of the local people, an attractive experience for tourists every time they return to Khe Ran is to enjoy traditional dishes of the local people and enjoy drinking rice wine as the night falls.

At 5pm, the smoke from the kitchen was already filling the air. In the spacious kitchen, there were about 6 women chatting happily while quickly preparing traditional dishes. Ms. Ha Thi Sam - head of the cooking team of the village said: To promptly serve the needs of customers, the village has established a cooking team of 12 women who can serve dozens of trays of food at a time. Today, there are 4 trays so only 6 women are mobilized.

Ms. Lo Thi Nhung (Khe Ran village) teaches her children the first steps of brocade weaving.

On the rattan trays (a typical Thai tray) in the middle of the kitchen, the ladies were preparing many dishes. Mrs. Vi Thi Luyen (66 years old), mother of Mr. Lo Huynh Lan, was instructing how to make meatballs - one of the most special dishes of the Thai people, only made when there are distinguished guests visiting the house. To make meatballs, you need pork (or chicken), lemongrass, wild banana, wood ear, various leaves, chopped wild vegetables, chili, wild pepper mixed with ground rice flour; the banana leaves are heated over a fire until soft, then the mixed meatballs are put in and wrapped, like sticky rice. In less than 30 minutes, the fragrant smell of meatballs wafted throughout the kitchen. Mrs. Luyen quickly lifted the pot of meatballs down, gently removed each hot meatball package and placed it on a large plate, solemnly displayed in the middle of the tray.

Along with the meatball dish, there are also red sticky rice, buffalo horn cake, ot soup, banana flower salad, grilled chicken, grilled pork served with honey leaves, su leaves, and loi leaves... Unlike the Kinh people, the Thai people do not use fish sauce to dip their meat, but the Thai people's dipping sauces are also very elaborate. For example, to dip sticky rice, the Thai people make a dipping sauce using stream fish (a small white fish with fragrant meat like chicken) steamed, then pounded with roasted salt mixed with wild chili; or the dipping sauce for grilled chicken and pork is made from crushed chives with wild chili pepper and white salt.

Attractive dishes of Thai people in Khe Ran.

After cooking, all the rattan trays are arranged in rows along the length of the house, the top tray is reserved for men of high status such as the host, village chief or honored guests, while mothers, sisters, children and young people sit at the following trays. While enjoying the dishes, the guests are told funny stories about the customs and rituals of the Thai people by the host and do not forget to introduce each dish on the tray in detail, making the atmosphere more cozy.

As the meal came to an end, the bustling sound of gongs could be heard on the floor. Tourists eagerly walked down the stairs. In the yard, women in brocade dresses, their faces radiant, welcomed guests to join the wine festival.

Enjoy bamboo dance festival at Khe Ran village.

In the middle of the yard, a large jar of rice wine was placed solemnly. Village chief Lo Van Thang raised his voice to invite the gods to join in the fun with the villagers, thanking them for blessing the villagers with good health and lush fields... As soon as the village chief's prayer ended, the gongs and drums resounded, blending with the singing and dancing of the Lam Vong... The rice wine jars were screwed down, and everyone's face was flushed from the wine and the warm human affection.

Thanh Thuy - Thu Huong