NEW YEAR COMES ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE

At the beginning of January, the Ho Chi Minh trail is as beautiful as a silk ribbon across the mountain and peaceful village. Spring journey to festivals, to the sound of drums and gongs at Co Tu villages that echoes epicly over the jungle…

The cold breeze of January carries the mist of the mountains and forests along Truong Son Mountain Range to the land of Co Tu people in Quang Nam. Tourists will have a chance to merge themself to the heritage domain with Guol's roof which has a kitchen that fires all day long, to admire the beauty of young boys and girls with the Tung tung Da da dance. The village and people here live together with nature and preserve many cultural values and traditional habits.

For a long time, spring on Truong Son Mountain Range is not only the start of festival season for Co Tu people but also the tourist attraction season to come to traditional villages to experience the extraordinary culture of people here. Coming to the border villages such as Nam Giang, Dong Giang, Tay Giang, Phuoc Son... where covered by fog, cloud, smoke from kitchens and more than 50.000 Co Tu eagerly sharing the Tet Holiday atmosphere.

Weaving among the old forests, from everywhere, Po lang flowers bloom white covering mountains and forests, this is when the paths across Truong Son Mountain Range are covered by the purple Thysanolaena latifolia, marking the coming of Spring. People in highland communes add more color and the Tet holiday atmosphere with the blooming cherry flower. Local citizens said that when the spring comes, tourists and nearby citizens also come to experience what makes the Spring atmosphere more vibrant.

When the farming is temporarily finished, corn is dried and stored in the storage, Co Tu people leave the backup house in the woods to come back to the village for Tet Holiday. Tet Holiday is the chance for everyone to pray for their god, their ancestor for good things, a more affluent and full coming year.

After the harvest day, highland people take their products, from banana, sugar cane, codonopsis pilosula to dry young bamboo, jungle vegetables, to sell at the markets and to prepare for a meaningful Tet Holiday.

At some populated areas like P'rao, Trung Mang (Dong Giang district); To Vieng, A Xan (Tay Giang district); Thanh My, Cha Val (Nam Giang district)... the early and afternoon markets appear with the attendance of local citizen.

If you have the opportunity to visit the Co Tu village, even if it is familiar or not, you will be invited by local people to the Guol house to eat unique and delicious traditional food as well as enjoy the Ta Vat wine. The West Quang Nam highland people own wide and bright eyes, thick lashes and warm, soulful smile.

People here have a tradition of making Cuot cake (bull horn cake) in Tet holidays: new rice celebration (Cha ha rootơmêê), good season celebration (Bhuối Aví), brotherhood oath ceremony between Co Tu villages (Pơ Ngoót).

At Tet Holidays, the old gather at Guol house to drink wine, eat food and tell epic stories and sing about the traditional custom of Co Tu people from history until now. Spring is also the Tr'zão season of the Co Tu people (Quang Nam province) who live on Truong son mountain Range. For Co Tu people, no matter rich or poor, the Tr'zão (R’záo, Tà moòi…) means visitation between parents and daughters or brothers and sisters who go far away with her husband, keeping good relations between in-laws. This is a wonderful traditional conventionality of Co Tu people that passed down through generations. Not only contributes to preserving traditional cultural values, the festival also connects the community, giving a chance for children to come back home.