Da Nang revives unique M’Nong cultural tradition
DNO - A traditional M’Nong water-trough worship ceremony will be revived in Tra Leng Commune, Da Nang on October 25, offering visitors a chance to discover a distinctive cultural heritage and highlighting the community’s deep connection with forests and water.
The much-awaited event will be jointly organized by the Da Nang Museum and the Tra Leng Commune People’s Committee.
Rooted in the M’Nong community’s cultural traditions, the water-trough worship ceremony reflects the close relationship between local people, forest ecosystems and water resources.
Its revival aims to safeguard this intangible cultural heritage, raise public awareness of the need to protect upstream forests and preserve local water sources, as well as open up opportunities for sustainable community-based tourism.
For the time being, preparations are well underway. The Da Nang Museum and the local authorities are carefully reviewing each component of the program to ensure that the ceremony is held with due respect for tradition and fully reflects the community’s distinctive cultural identity.
Alongside preserving a time-honored ritual, the event is expected to introduce the M’Nong people’s cultural heritage to a wider audience, offering both residents and visitors an opportunity to discover the traditions that continue to shape community life.
According to Vice Chairman of the Tra Leng Commune People’s Committee Ho Van Van, the revival seeks to preserve and promote intangible cultural heritage, in tandem with placing the community at the heart of safeguarding and passing down its ethnic identity to future generations.
Also, the ceremony is intended to support the sustainable development of community-based tourism in the locality.
In recent years, the mountainous communes of Tra My, Tra Leng, Tra Tap, Tra Van and Tra Linh in Da Nang have recreated a range of traditional festivals associated with local ethnic minority communities.
Included are water-trough worship ceremonies, new-rice celebrations, rituals honoring the deities of Ngoc Linh ginseng and forest worship ceremonies.
Visitors can experience gong performances, “ting ting” singing, traditional folk games and competitions showcasing traditional crafts.
Together, these activities offer a glimpse into the rich cultural life of ethnic minority communities and help keep their heritage alive through practice and transmission.
By bringing cultural preservation, environmental awareness, and tourism together, the above- mentioned events seek to ensure that local heritage remains a living part of community life and a source of discovery for future visitors.