Buzz
From Dong Hoi City (Quang Binh), follow the Ho Chi Minh trail up to National Highway 12A, then take a winding road through a dozen mountains to reach the summit of Chà Cáp mountain. Nestled in the valley at the foot of this mountain, the village of Tà Vờng appears ethereal in the mist.
Tà Vờng - a captivating painting amidst mountains and forests
Tà Vờng is one of three villages in the Lòm area of Trọng Hóa commune, Minh Hóa district, Quảng Bình province, located along the Vietnam-Laos border. With its pristine beauty and unique, distinct culture, in recent years, Tà Vờng has attracted many tourists to explore.
People living alongside the sky
Mr. Bui Xuan Hoang, an official of Quang Binh Tourism Department, is an adventurous traveler who has conquered many remote areas of this region. However, when he first reached the summit of Chà Cáp, Mr. Hoang was still amazed when looking down at the valley below.
Just after a rain shower, the mist covers Tà Vờng like a late autumn morning in Đà Lạt. A car in the group was about to accelerate downhill when Hoàng stopped it. “Let's stay here to enjoy. After the rain is when Tà Vờng is at its most beautiful,” Hoàng said.
The group stood on the top of Chà Cáp for a few more minutes, then the mist rose, spreading over the slopes of the high mountains surrounding them. 25 rooftops gradually appeared on the hilltop.
Looking down from above, it feels like the several dozen wooden rooftops of Tà Vờng are musical notes written on the frame of the mountains. “I heard it's beautiful. I couldn't imagine it's as beautiful as in a painting like this,” Hoàng said.
The sun broke through the clouds. The group gently floated the car over three more low hills, and Tà Vờng was in front of them. The path up was carved into steps by the villagers along the vertical axis of the hill. Tà Vờng seems to know how to create a unique impression at different distances.
If this village is seen from above like a painting, when stepping into the village, visitors are impressed by its neatness and tidiness.
The wooden stilt houses are neatly arranged. From under the floor to the path, the villagers have cleaned so thoroughly that you can't tell this is a village on the border. Each family has a vegetable garden they grow themselves, like in the plains below.
All 25 rooftops are enclosed by a circular fence system on the hilltop, leaving only one path leading down to the main road, another path behind the village leading to the fields. Someone in the group accidentally dropped a piece of paper onto the yard of a stilt house. A woman from inside the house ran out to pick it up and put it in the trash bag hanging behind the house.
Hồ Khiên, the village chief, said that living in the clouds is normal for the villagers. Every late afternoon or early morning, the clouds descend right to the mountain peak. According to Hồ Khiên, living in such an environment without being tidy and clean is like committing a crime against heaven and earth. Every few months, the villagers gather to remind each other of their way of life, which gradually becomes a habit.
“The villagers may lack food, clothing, but they cannot lack awareness. That's why many visitors come to Tà Vờng and never forget,” Hồ Khiên said.
Enjoying grilled fish by the stream
Hồ Khiên's house, along with two other houses in the village, is the accommodation for guests following the community tourism model. Although they have been in tourism for several years, the local culture still runs deep in the blood of the Ma Lieng and May ethnic people in Tà Vờng.
As Hồ Khiên puts it, Tà Vờng's approach to tourism is nothing more than letting guests live the normal life of the villagers. Perhaps that's why those who have been here feel the most attached.
Night falls on the village, the wind howls. Hồ Khiên and his son go out behind the house with a fishing net, signaling the group of guests to follow them down to the Tà Leng stream behind the village. Arriving at the stream, while his son throws the net into the water, Hồ Khiên shines a light around to gather firewood. A fire is quickly lit right next to the stream. A few minutes later, Hồ Khiên's son also manages to catch a bunch of stream fish.
Hồ Khiên takes out a small jar of rice wine from his bag. In an instant, the quiet atmosphere disappears. The guests begin to enjoy the wilderness of the mountains.
The fish is grilled right by the stream. Guests and hosts enjoy the rice wine. The atmosphere seems to stand still for fear of losing these emotions. “It truly is an unforgettable feeling,” said Thành, one of the guests in the group.
At dawn, the guests who were still in a daze were awakened by the continuous sound of mortar pounding. It's not just one, but almost the entire village makes that sound. Getting up and going through the nearest stilt house, two women are vigorously pounding the mortar. Right under the mortar is a mixture of glutinous rice, cassava, and corn. The women pound each type separately and then mix them together.
It turns out this is the time when the whole village wakes up to make Pồi rice. After pounding, this mixture will be steamed until cooked. That is the main food in the Tà Vờng people's meal. Guests are invited by the two women to try making Pồi rice.
To make delicious Pồi rice, all three types of ingredients must be pounded together as one, then put into a steaming bamboo tube. “I've heard of this dish at home before. But I didn't expect making it would take so much effort,” Thành said.
According to Hồ Khiên, this is the traditional rice dish of the Mày and Mã Liềng people. This dish has been closely associated with the people of Tà Vờng since ancient times. When they started tourism, the villagers also chose this dish as a representative of their culinary culture to treat guests.
“This is something made by the villagers themselves. Tourists eat it to remember Tà Vờng,” Hồ Khiên said.
Building a new village, avoiding landslide-prone areas
According to the villagers, Tà Vờng used to be more than 2km away from its current location, deep in the mountains, on the other side of the Tà Leng stream. Due to the steep terrain, during the rainy season, the land was prone to landslides, posing a danger to the villagers. Therefore, in 2012, the authorities and border guards mobilized the villagers to move away from the dangerous landslide area and build a new village on the current hilltop.
Mr. Đinh Tiến Dũng, a cultural officer of Trọng Hóa commune, said that Tà Vờng not only has the beauty of scenery but also has a cultural identity. If the community tourism development is successful, this place will not only become an attractive tourist destination but also improve the livelihood of the ethnic people.
According to Quốc Nam/Tuổi trẻ
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourNovember 8, 2018
