Overview of the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
Nestled on the slopes of Langbiang Mountain—the highest peak in Da Lat—the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village offers an encounter with the Lach (Lat) tribe. According to the legend of Cam Ly Waterfall, this tribe has inhabited the "rooftop" of Da Lat for thousands of years. They have built their homes, lived their lives, and cultivated the gong culture of the Central Highlands, particularly in the Da Lat–Lam Dong region, flourishing around Langbiang Mountain. The village regularly hosts gong culture exchange programs, inviting travelers to join in. These programs aim to deepen visitors' understanding of the highland people's ethnic identity, specifically the Lach tribe, fostering community integration and spreading the image of Central Highlands gong culture far and wide. The hope is that this gong culture will endure and be passed down through generations, preserving its historical and cultural values from fading away.
Listen to the melody: "Ngọn lửa cao nguyên" (The Highland Flame)
The all-inclusive program costs between 170,000 VND and 230,000 VND for approximately two hours, from 18:00 to 20:30 daily.
Gong Culture Village Exchange Program
The Central Highlands Gong Culture Village is a mysterious and fascinating discovery spot in the City of Thousands of Flowers, waiting for you to explore. This gong culture exchange program is frequently booked by travelers. As evening falls, many choose to dine with family, sip hot soy milk, or explore Da Lat Market, but there's still an option for those seeking to immerse themselves in the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village. Activities include singing, dancing around a large bonfire, drinking rượu cần (rice wine sipped through bamboo straws), and enjoying a dinner of grilled meat and bamboo-cooked rice (cơm lam), shared with villagers by the crackling fire. These moments are truly precious, etching unforgettable memories. Year after year, many travelers eagerly await the gong culture festivals of the Central Highlands, especially in Da Lat and Lam Dong, to witness the distinctive attire of highland tribes, ancient gong sets, masterful dances, and unique performances by both men and women of the village—festivals rich in the customs of the Central Highlands ethnic groups.
Photo taken at the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
How to Get to the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
Located at the foot of Langbiang Mountain on Langbiang Road, Lac Duong Town, Lac Duong District, Lam Dong Province, this is the gathering place for the Central Highlands gong culture program. If you book a tour, a shuttle will pick you up from your hotel or homestay and bring you to the village.
Exploring the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
The program lasts about two hours, including a ritual ceremony, a festival, a gong exchange, a rượu cần drinking session, and a communal dinner with the villagers.
The Ritual Ceremony at the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
Witness the worship and prayer rituals led by village elders. They invoke the spirits to descend and bring blessings to their village and the entire land. The ceremony includes prayers to the Fire God, invocations to Yàng (the Supreme Being), a welcome for the spirits, and a celebration of the New Rice by the Lach tribe and other ethnic groups. You'll also see the "A Ráp Mồ Ô" dance, depicting pregnant maidens fetching water from the forest, performed by village girls. Next is the "Ngày hội rông chiêng" (Gong Festival Day) dance, a traditional performance featured in most major festivals. Listen to the sounds of six village boys playing the K'Ram zither.
Villagers joyfully laughing and dancing together
The Festival at the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
Following the ritual, the festival begins—a time for joyful interaction and integration between visitors and villagers. You'll hear the gongs resound as soon as the ritual ends. This festival also introduces travelers to ancient cultures, unique tribal traditions, and, most notably, the enduring gong culture. There's the buffalo-stabbing festival, the new rice celebration, and the Xoang dance of the Central Highlands, also known as the communal dance of the Ba-na ethnic minority. This ancient dance, dating back to time immemorial, invites visitors to join, forming a large circle around the warm, glowing bonfire.
Cultural exchange at the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
Gong Exchange at the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
The buffalo dance is performed by the village's ethnic boys. This is followed by the "Đi săn Drop P’nu" (Hunting Drop P'nu) dance, also performed by the village boys and girls as they hunt in the forest. The "Hoa Langbiang" (Langbiang Flower) dance, performed by the village girls, embodies the distinct cultural traits of the Lach tribe. The finale is a performance titled "Buôn làng giã gạo đêm trăng" (Village Pounding Rice on a Moonlit Night), featuring both boys and girls. Songs include "Tình ca K’Dung, K’Lang" (Love Song of K'Dung, K'Lang), "Ngày mùa trên buôn" (Harvest Day in the Village), and "Tình em bên suối" (My Love by the Stream), creating a romantic and joyful atmosphere for all participants, both visitors and locals.
Villagers walking around the crackling fire
In 2005, the Central Highlands Gong Culture was recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, second only to Hue Royal Court Music, which received the honor in 2003. This gong culture has long been intertwined with the lives of the people on this sunny, windy basalt land. It represents their life, customs, beliefs, spirituality, and daily activities. The sound of the gongs connects generations and lives on with the Central Highlands people. The village also hosts other ethnic minority groups, such as the Ba-na, Xê-đăng, Ê-đê, and Mạ.
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity - Central Highlands Gongs
Village boys playing the gongs
Drinking Rượu Cần and Enjoying Dinner at the Central Highlands Gong Culture Village
Rượu cần is fermented in jars without any distillation. To drink, you simply insert a bamboo or reed straw and sip. This is considered a precious beverage, reserved for offerings to the spirits, important village festivals, and for honoring guests.
Rượu cần - a signature drink of the Central Highlands
Grilled meat and cơm lam are iconic dishes of the Central Highlands forests. The meat is firm, and the cơm lam is fragrant and chewy—a familiar meal when visiting the region. The grilled chicken in the Central Highlands must be "mountain-climbing, free-range" chickens, often young ones weighing around 1 kg. Before grilling, they are marinated with lemongrass, salt, onion, garlic, and other local ingredients, then cooked over charcoal.
Grilled meat and cơm lam - a renowned dish of the Central Highlands
The Central Highlands Gong Culture Village is a place where you can fully explore the lives of ethnic minority peoples, who cherish their gongs and strive to share this ancient culture with the world, inviting everyone to help preserve this beautiful tradition. We hope the information above proves helpful to you.