Where to learn about Co Tu culture

Where to learn about Co Tu culture

Tien Sa

Y Kong sits by traditional Co Tu items inside his museum

Located along National Highway 14G in Tong Cooi Village, Ba Commune in Dong Giang, the museum of Y Kong, which is actually an area inside his home, is considered a rich and diverse cultural treasure of Co Tu people.

Now in his 80s, the old man retired from the post of village patriarch several years ago and has since collected and revived all tangible and intangible evidence that could help conserve Co Tu traditional cultural values. Now his small home is a de facto museum featuring Co Tu ethnic group’s culture.

Y Kong said in recent years, he has welcomed three to four groups of local and foreign tourists to his museum a week.

The small house of Y Kong is surrounded by a green garden. There are many Co Tu items and musical instruments such as flute, gong and drum.

Y Kong is also a living cultural heritage as he is one of a few Co Tu people who know how to play their traditional musical instruments, and who uphold the tradition and culture of his people.

There is even a wooden coffin he made for himself inside the house, a long-established tradition of Co Tu people.

In 2010, Y Kong spent over VND50 million (US$2,223) building a small stilt-house in front of his home to display the wooden statues hand-crafted by him.

“There were many statues on display in the stilt-house but tourists have bought most of them,” he said. These days, due to his weak hands, Y Kong just makes a couple of statues for display only.

Last year, Y Kong spent VND100 million building a coffee shop to serve tourists to his museum.

Normally, tourists come in groups of five to seven and ask Y Kong to perform folk songs of Co Tu people using traditional musical instruments, listen to his stories about Co Tu culture and see the statues he made.

Some groups even stay overnight and ask his family to serve traditional food and wine of Co Tu people at a cost of VND120,000 per person.

Over the past year, Y Kong said, nearly 200 groups of tourists from 40 countries have come to his museum.

However, the old man said the main purpose of offering services to tourists is to raise funds to promote and preserve the traditional culture of Co Tu people.

Y Kong talks about the traditional necklace of Co Tu people

Y Kong plays a traditional musical instrument with his wife by his side - PHOTOS: TIEN SA

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