Since Y Gen Bya of Kieu hamlet began participating a year ago in a new-style rural ecotourism village project promoting the M'nong ethnic minority culture, he has been busy every day taking care of one hectare of coffee and 400 fruit trees and developing an agri-tourism farm.

His orchard is doing well, with most of the fruit trees in blossom and fruiting. As the farm develops, tourism businesses will start bringing visitors to explore and experience.

Y Gen Bya told VOV: “Fruit trees like the local sandy soil and yield plenty of fruit. When the district administration advised me to develop agricultural ecotourism that promotes culture, I decided to participate in the project. They said businesses will bring tourists to experience our farms and this will give us extra income. We are very happy to benefit so much from combining ecotourism with new-style rural and cultural development.”

The project is helping to preserve the M'nong culture in Kieu hamlet. This year brocade weaving in the hamlet has expanded, signaling that the local traditional craft will continue to thrive. Investment has been made in paving rural roads, repairing traditional long houses, opening gong training classes, and organizing M’nong cultural festivals.

Y'Drai M'Drang, Chairman of Yang Mao commune People’s Committee, said 81 of 90 households in Kieu hamlet have joined the project and been given seedlings and fertilizer to grow fruit trees on about 120 hectares. They have also received financing to renovate 30 traditional long houses to provide tourist accommodations.

“We are developing fruit tree farms andpreserving the M’nong culture in Kieu hamlet. We are working with the district’s culture and information section to revitalize brocade weaving, gong troupes, the new rice offering festival, Ea Ray singing, and playing a musical instrument called a Gui. Our culture should be preserved and promoted to attract tourists,” said Y'Drai M'Drang.

Kieu hamlet was established in the mid 20th century for M'nong ethnic people. The 6,500-hectare village is located on Dong Truong Son Road beside the Chu Yang Sing mountain range. The area was at the center of Dak Lak’s revolutionary base.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Hieu, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “The roads, ecosystem, and traditional M'nông culture of Kieu hamlet are great advantages for tourism development. The provincial People’s Committee should include Kieu hamlet in DakLak’s tourism development planning between 2020 and 2025 and make it a key tourism destination. This will create more income for the locals and help them preserve their culture.”