Vietnam Travel > Country and People > Central Cities and Provinces > Dak Lak > Cultural Festivals and Travels
Cultural Festivals and Travels
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Location: Ako Dhong Village (or Co Thon), is two kilometers north of Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province.
Characteristics: It has 300 inhabitants; all of the villagers are the E De and the M’Nong people.
"Ako" means the original source in the E De’s language, and "Dhong" means Valley, the Valley of the original source of Ea Nhon Spring. This is a village famous for its prosperity, and is often called "The village of tile-roofed houses" or "Ama Rin Village".
Formerly Ako Dhong was a jungle. Ama Rin, the owner of the village, a native of Ea Mlai Village in M’Drak District, was among the first people who came here to set up the village. Prior to 1975, Ako Dhong Village had only three long-houses of ten households. All the villagers shared a big well, and cultivated 12ha of coffee. The villagers’ self-sufficient livelihood was based on cooperative working method and average distribution. From 1975 towards, together with the government’s policy on settlement, Ako Dhong villagers had households of smaller scale formed and a village school set up.
Apart from economic development, the villagers also pay attention to their children’s education. All their school-age children go to school. Regarding land distribution, Ako Dhong has regulated that three years after receiving a plot of land, one has to make profits on the land and pay tax to the government, generating wealth for the family and contributing to the developing of the village.
Today, Ako Dhong Village has seen many changes. Chief Ama Rin usually holds many festivals, featuring activities of singing, music performance, and traditional dances. Ama Rin also intends to develop sidelines for villagers in order to promote their living standards. However, he and villagers hope that Ako Dhong’s culture and handicraft will be preserved and developed well. The best things in Ako Dhong Village are glad to see visitors.
Location: Don Village is located northwest of Buon Ma Thuot in Krong Na Commune, Buon Don District, Dak Lak Province close to the Cambodian border, approximately 42km from Buon Ma Thuot.
Characteristics: Don Village is well known as the native land of elephant hunters and trainers throughout Southeast Asia.
Don Village has been famous for its Kru, powerful elephant tribe leaders, for a long time, and is well known in India and France for its elephant. Y Pui, a 102-year-old man (1883-1985) who tamed over 450 elephants, spent part of his life as King Bao Dai’s Mahout. Elephant training and hunting has been passed down through generations. It takes 67 months to domesticate a wild elephant.
In the last few years, tourists have been more eager to visit Don Village, the elephants’ home in Dak Lak. Their main interest in being to admire the animals and to understand their delicate situation Surveys are now being conducted throughout the country to evaluate the elephant situation and to better organizes protection projects.
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