Tay Nguyen Grave House- A Distinctive Ritual of Ethnic People in the Central Highlands

[Mary]

In Vietnam tourism, visitors are interested in distinctive features of rituals and customs of ethnic minority groups when traveling to the Central Highlands. Tay Nguyen Grave house of Kon Tum province is a can-not-be-missed destination of tourists coming there.

Tay Nguyen Grave House is located in the Central Highlands, Kon Tum Province. According to aged old customs of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands, after the burial of the deceased they grave to shelter the grave from rain and sunshine.

 

Tay Nguyen Grave House

 

The hut is usually stocked with personal belongings of the deceased. Two or three years later, family members of the deceased are going to remove the hut and build a new, bigger wooden house there. In addition, the grave is to have meticulous decorations. The grave house is surrounded with a wooden fence within there is a wooden statue resembling a human being, a bird or an animal. The practice of removing the makeshift hut is usually organized in the spring and is considered a festive day.

The ritual is called Le Bo Ma (Leaving-the-grave). In this day villagers are gathered at the cemetery ground and the family members bring food offerings including rice-distilled rice, rice, cooked pork and other meat. After the offerings are given to the deceased, villagers are to sing songs, dance and enjoy the drink and the food taken down from the altar. They have the belief that the deceased has returned to join the feast with those alive.

 

Paying a visit to Kon Tum province, tourists in Vietnam travel should visit this place where you are able to learn more about the distinctive rituals  and customs of ethnic people living there.