The melancholic sound of the khen flute drifts through the mist along the mountain slopes, whispering in harmony with the babbling streams and the rhythmic clatter of looms, creating a mystical melody that captivates travelers. The village of A Luoi today bustles with visitors from afar, as the local people have learned to leverage their cultural identity for tourism. Behind these transformations are the tireless footsteps of a Pa Co woman who loves her homeland - That is Ms. Le Thi Them, the former Head of the Culture and Information Department of the former A Luoi District, now the Head of the Party Building Committee of A Luoi 1 Commune.

The sound of gongs echoing through the mountains, the graceful spins of Pa Co and Ta Oi (ethnic groups) dances, once thought to belong only to the memory of old festivals, are now alive again in A Luoi 2. Here, a Co Tu girl named A Rel Thuy Linh, along with local youth, continue to nurture their passion, bringing the heritage of their homeland to life with vibrant performances that immerse audiences in the atmosphere of a true festival.

Nestled at the foot of the majestic Truong Son mountain range, Doi village (Khe Tre commune) resembles a peaceful and lush green valley. There, a Co Tu girl quietly tells the story of her village day by day, with all the pride she holds for her ancestral culture.

From scraps of fabric seemingly destined for the trash, two students: Dong Nguyen Nhat Minh (Grade 6) and Lai The Tai (Grade 7) from Khe Tre Town Secondary School (Phu Loc District) have assembled them into vivid collage paintings that tell the story of their village, inspired by a deep love for Co Tu culture.

To Co Tu people, the new rice welcoming festival plays a very important role in their cultural and religious life, highlighting their ethnic cultural characteristics, their knowledge and their outlook of life and the world. That is the conclusion by experts in the process of preparing the dossier for recognition of the new rice welcoming festival of the Co Tu people in Nam Dong, Phu Loc, Hue as national intangible cultural heritage.

In the festive atmosphere of the “Colors of Spring in the Highlands” celebration in A Luoi, amidst the “tung tung da da” dances and echoing gong sounds, I was fortunate to witness a special ritual of the Co Tu people - the An Ninh Pa Nua festival. This is one of their ancient traditional ceremonies, expressing the sacred feelings of the bride’s family toward the groom’s family after many years of being in-laws.

Culinary culture not simply is about food but also contains stories about the vibrant life of indigenous people. In the vast Truong Son mountains, the dishes of Ta Oi, Pa Co, Co Tu ethnic groups are rich with the flavors of the forest from available natural ingredients, combined with age-old secrets, creating unique values found nowhere else.

Inanimate pieces of wood have become magnificent unique works of art thanks to the skills and talents of artisans and sculptors. They have shown the beauty of the culture and life of the ethnic people of Co Tu in the mountainous district of Nam Dong.

The village elders and young people here appreciate and are aware of preserving traditional culture and promoting this unique art form.