Society

Sediments at the foot of Bu Dang mountain

Tien Dong • DNUM_CFZAGZCACF 15:02

At the foot of the majestic mountains, the land of Muong Mieng - now Chau Hoi and Chau Nga communes, Quy Chau district - still silently preserves the historical and cultural traditions of the ethnic groups here.

Author: Tien Dong - Technique: Diep Thanh
Publication date: 6/24/2025

At the foot of the majestic mountains, the land of Muong Mieng - now the communes of Chau Hoi, Chau Nga, Quy Chau district still silently preserves the historical and cultural traditions of the ethnic groups here.

Sedimentary plate tenng

From Vinh city, traveling more than 145 kilometers to the Northwest along Highway 48, we headed up to Quy Chau district, a land containing many historical and cultural sediments, where layers of time do not cover the dust of oblivion but turn into living evidence, connecting the past, present and suggesting the future. This is considered the ancient Thai land. Each stilt house, each nhuon, lam, and thap melody, each pattern on the Thai brocade shirt and skirt is a story passed down through generations.

There, the ancient footprints of the Vietnamese people are still imprinted in Tham Om cave, and then the ups and downs of the land during the migration to open up the land to the West of Nghe An. Each wave of people, each change of the mountains and forests, all settle into a realm of accumulation that is not mixed.

Stopping at Chau Hoi, Chau Nga land at the foot of Bu Dang mountain, in the vastness of the mountains, under the sunset, we seemed to touch our memories. Then we followed the footsteps of the Lam Son army in the years of fighting against the Ming invaders in the 15th century, or of the steadfast Can Vuong soldiers in the sacred forests and poisonous waters in the years of fighting against the French in the late 19th century. Here, in the middle of the wild mountains and forests, the sound of loyalty and the desire to protect the country seemed to echo forever.

Chau Hoi and Chau Nga are almost entirely located in the depression of the two mountain ranges of Pu Hoat and Pu Khang, formerly called Muong Mieng, where many ethnic minorities live.Thai peopleliving. From the dawn of history until now, this land has undergone many changes in the residential areas of the communities. Especially, many ethnic groups have appeared living together such as: Tho, Mong, Kho Mu...

According to the Quy Chau Gazetteer, although having different origins, each ethnic group is proud of its contribution to the transformation of nature, the building of life, and the transformation of all aspects of the land of Quy Chau. On the land of Quy Chau at that time, bustling economic, cultural, and social centers appeared, such as Ta Chum, Muong Chai, Ke Bang... which had extensive relations not only with the Muongs in the region, but also with the other side of the border (Ai Lao country) or with the mountainous regions of Thanh Hoa and the Northwest of Vietnam. The management apparatus of the prefectures, districts, and villages was constantly strengthened; the standing army and militia were established to prevent attacks from outside forces and protect the peace of the villages.

The relationship between ethnic communities, solidarity, love and mutual assistance among ethnic groups is increasingly close. This sustainable and good relationship has created conditions for ethnic groups to coexist and develop, creating a cultural identity, both bearing the common characteristics of the Vietnamese people and the unique characteristics of each ethnic group in the district.Quy Chau.

However, today’s Quy Chau district has many changes in its administrative units and its ethnic composition is no longer the same as before. Along with the migration and resettlement process, the population structure has clearly shifted. But in that blend, the core values ​​of ancient Thai culture are still preserved.

Highland spirit

We followed the instructions of the Chau Hoi Commune People's Committee staff to Don village to meet Mr. Lang Van Ngo - former Secretary of the Chau Hoi Commune Party Committee. Mr. Ngo is a descendant of the General Lang Van Thiet, one of the heroic sons of Muong Mieng land.

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The land at the foot of Bu Dang mountain once witnessed a famous battle in history, described by Nguyen Trai in two famous verses in the Proclamation of Victory over the Wu: "The battle of Bo Dang was filled with thunder and lightning/ In Tra Lan, bamboo split and ashes flew."

Mr. Lang Van Ngo - former Party Secretary of Chau Hoi commune

Mr. Ngo said that since ancient times, Chau Hoi land, along with Chau Nga, has become a place with an important strategic position. From this land, it is easy to move to the North, to Nhu Xuan land (Thanh Hoa) and move to the West to Ai Lao land (today's neighboring country of Laos). In particular, the land at the foot of Bu Dang mountain (also known as Bo Lap, Bo Cu, Bo Dang, Bu Don...), which witnessed a famous battle in history, was depicted by Nguyen Trai with 2 famous verses in Binh Ngo Dai Cao "The battle of Bo Dang thundered and lightning/ Tra Lan land, bamboo split, ash flew".

Historical records show that in 1424, Le Loi decided to march into Nghe An following the strategy of General Nguyen Chich (some documents record Le Chich). Because, according to Nguyen Chich, "Nghe An is a dangerous place, with a large land and a large population... occupying Nghe An to make a foothold, then relying on the strength of the people and the wealth of that land to turn around and attack Dong Do can be considered to complete the task of pacifying the world".

In October 1424, the Lam Son insurgents followed the "upper road" into the Nghe An mountains, with the first goal of capturing Tra Lan citadel. But when passing Bu Dang mountain, the insurgents were blocked by 5,000 troops of Cam Bang and Cam Lan; the Ming generals Tran Tri, Ly An, Phuong Chinh, and Thai Phuc were chasing them from behind. Taking advantage of the darkness, Le Loi ordered the insurgents to lie in ambush in the forest, suddenly attacking and destroying more than 2,000 enemies, including Do Ty Tran Trung, capturing many weapons and more than 100 horses.

Today, Bu Dang mountain is the natural boundary separating Chau Hoi commune and Chau Nga commune, but under this mountain, stories about the resounding victory of Lam Son insurgents 600 years ago are still remembered.

We stayed with Mr. Ngo for quite a while. He enthusiastically told stories about local history and culture, about how when he was young, he followed his friends to Bu Dang mountain and picked up ceramic pipes, which were said to be remnants from the Lam Son uprising. He said: "Muong Mieng used to be the gathering center of the ancient Thai people, from large families such as Lang, Luong... It was here that Mr. Thiet established a resistance base, a place to hide weapons, raise troops, and respond to the Can Vuong movement."

Mr. Lang Van Thiet, was the son of military officer Lang Van Thu under the reign of King Tu Duc (Nguyen Dynasty). Since childhood, he was trained in martial arts by his father, loved archery and sword dancing, grew up with a strong body and had wide social connections, so he had great prestige in the community. Later, his uncle, the Governor of Quy Chau, assigned him the position of military commander, so he was also called Doc Thiet. Responding to the Can Vuong movement, he led the people of Chau Hoi and Chau Nga to rise up to fight the French. He also coordinated with the Cam Ba Thuoc insurgents in Thanh Hoa, building this area into an important base.

After many years of participating in the resistance war, Lang Van Thiet was captured by the enemy after a battle in Thanh Nga village, Chau Nga commune. He was beheaded by the French colonialists and displayed on an apple tree near his house, now Khun village, Chau Hoi commune. Today, Lang Van Thiet has two graves in two places. One in Khun village (Chau Hoi), right at the base of the apple tree, and one on the edge of Tong Huong field, Mun village (Chau Nga commune). His grave was recognized as a historical relic in 1998.

After talking with Mr. Lang Van Ngo, we were enthusiastically led by Mr. Lang Van Cuong - Vice Chairman of Chau Hoi Commune People's Committee along the rocky mountain road to the foot of Bu Dang. Standing halfway up the mountain, the sky of Quy Chau in May is clear, from here we can see a whole area of ​​green hills rustling in the wind, stretching from Chau Hoi Commune to Chau Nga Commune like a giant carpet. The fertile fields, wet fields interspersed with colored fields, meander along the Hieu River. Bu Dang is not only a place name, but also a place where spiritual energy converges.

Mr. Cuong also took us to the graves of Mr. Lang Van Thiet, which have been recognized as a relic. However, when we arrived at the graves in Tong Huong field, even though it was in the middle of vast rice fields, next to the Mun stream quietly flowing to Hieu river, we still felt a bit uneasy, as the graves were so lonely that it ached our hearts.

Leaving Bu Dang when the sun was gradually setting, the blue smoke had covered the mountains. Saying goodbye to us with a firm handshake, the Vice Chairman of Chau Hoi Commune People's Committee, Lang Van Cuong, said with emotion: "Today, every festival season, in Chau Hoi and Chau Nga communes, right at the foot of Bu Dang, the sound of gongs and drums still echoes as if calling back old memories. Young men and women sing love songs, old people sit and tell stories about Mr. Thiet, about the deceased. In the laughter and the sound of the panpipes, somewhere there still lingers an unspoken pride. Very proud".

In the future, when the administrative boundaries are rearranged, Chau Hoi commune and Chau Nga commune, which share the same origin from ancient Muong Mieng, will be merged into a new administrative unit.

This opens up hope for building this place into a unique cultural land, bearing the mark of "a sacred land of talented people"....