Lung Van- the Roof of the Muong Area

Lung Van- the Roof of the Muong Area

Lung Van (Muong Bi), about 40km from downtown Hoa Binh City, is famous for its spectacular natural scenery and the unique culture of the Muong people.

Located at an altitude of 1,200m above sea level, Lung Van in Tan Lac District looks like a fairyland amidst white clouds so it has another name, the Cloud Valley. Lung Van is considered “The Roof of Muong Bi,” one of the four major and the most ancient cultural cradles of the Muong ethnics in Hoa Binh Province, including Muong Bi, Muong Vang, Muong Thang and Muong Dong.

According to the “Land and Water” epic of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh, Lung Van was once a peaceful village which was then completely destroyed by a devastating flood and no one survived after the flood except for a couple who was saved by being stuck in a giant tree, called Bi. The tree had deep roots in 9 rivers and ten mountains so it was not swept away. Having no place to live, the couple built a tent under the tree to live and they reclaimed new land for farming, tamed wild animals for raising, made containers to get water and then established a hamlet and named it after the tree to show their gratitude to the tree that saved their lives. The present-day Muong Bi is a vast mountainous area of many communes in Tan Lac District and Lung Van is the highest place where the Muong ethnic people are living and it is believed to be the place where the Bi tree grew.

Lung Van is now still unfamiliar to many people because it is surrounded by deep blue mountains and is very far from the main road. It has still kept intact many traditional cultural and architectural features, such as tortoise-shaped roofs and Muong women’s dresses which are black and decorated with colourful patterns. Today their dresses are made shorter, suitable for working, however all delicate patterns remain unchanged.

This land is related to many fairy tales and is called the land of longevity because there are many people more than 100 years old who are still healthy. At the age of 90-100, they still work to help their grandchildren. It is believed that the locals’ longevity is due to the water from streams in the region, their good and simple lifestyle and airy and pure atmosphere.

In his notes about culture of Muong areas, culturist Phan Cam Thuong emphasised the difficulties in travelling to the region and the locals’ self-sufficient life. The locals go to their market for entertainment and sometimes exchange their products, such as brocade, woven products, fruit and vegetables. The locals have little money and some have no money.

Lung Van is most beautiful after Tet, from February to April, because at that time it is covered by white clouds. It is also the time the Muong people prepare for a new crop on terraced fields - “A Giant Mirror of Muong Bi”. So far, they have maintained their traditional farming method. Ha Van Binh, an elder in Lung Van said: “We live rather separately so the method of growing rice is quite different from those who live in lower areas. We only start the crop when it rains and the terraced fields are submerged in ‘heaven’s water’. We sow rice by hand that results in low productivity, but is famous for its high quality and delicious taste. Therefore, in the past rice made in Lung Van was used as an offering to hamlet lords, so it is also called ‘the rice of the hamlet lord’.”

With a pure atmosphere, spectacular scenery and peaceful life, Lung Van is really an ideal place for those who want to escape the noisy urban life and discover the unique cultural features of the Muong ethnic people.

Source: VNP

Bài viết liên quan

	Plan for Quang Binh Cave Festival 2015 The Provincial People’s Committee on June 10 approved the plan organizing “Quang Binh Cave Festival 2015”. The event will take place during July 15-21 with a large scale and many attractive art performance programs. The opening ceremony on July 17 will be held at Bao Ninh Sea Square with an art performance... Detail >>

	Fostering Viet Nam tourism promotion in Japan (TITC) – In the framework of Viet Nam Culture and Tourism Festival 2015 in Japan, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized two workshops on promoting Viet Nam tourism in Osaka (June 10, 2015) and in Tokyo (June 15, 2015). Detail >>

	Unlocking the Potential of the Mekong Region via Innovative Partnerships (TITC) – This is the theme of Mekong Tourism Symposium which will be held on June 18, 2015 in Da Nang. Detail >>

	Cultural activities mark 40th anniversary of Vietnam-New Zealand relations On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic Vietnam - New Zealand relations, the New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam is planning a vast array of activities to introduce New Zealand’s culture, customs and traditions. Detail >>

	Establishing Du Gia National Park - Dong Van Stone Plateau The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Official dispatch No. 2286/BVHTTDL-DSVH on June 9th, 2015 which was sent to the Government Office on establishing of Du Gia National Park - Dong Van Stone Plateau, Ha Giang province. Detail >>

	Non Nuoc village After a 15-minute ride from the centre of Danang, the biggest city on the Central Coast of Vietnam, I reached its renowned stone carving village, Non Nuoc, which lies at the foot of the picturesque Marble Mountain. Detail >>

	Workshop on Mekong Tourism Social Media Boot Camp (TITC) – In the framework of MeKong Tourism Forum 2015, a workshop on Mekong Tourism Social Media Boot Camp taking place on 16 June, attracted the attendance of national tourism organizations of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), int’l tourism experts, tourism businesses, int’l organizations in Viet Nam... Detail >>

	Mekong countries need cooperation for diverse, quality tourism products A new cooperation mechanism increasing connectivity among tourism destinations would allow countries in Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to diversify their tourism products and satisfy tourists’ growing demand and increasingly diverse tastes. Detail >>

	Visa-free travel for people from five countries soon Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to grant visa exemption to the people of five European countries, in an attempt to lure more tourists to the country. Detail >>

	World-class cruise liner makes first visit to Vietnam The world-class cruise liner Quantum of the Seas, carrying over 6,000 passengers and crew members, anchored in Vietnam for the first time in Tan Cang Cai Mep port in the Southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on June 17. Detail >>

« First « Previous 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 Next »« Last Page 24 of 29

Most popurlar tours

Video

Day & Short Tours