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.

Born in 1987, Pa Co man Nguyen Xuan Bay from Ra Looc village - A Soc hamlet, Hong Bac commune (now A Luoi 2 commune) came to traditional music with a pure, instinctive love. “I learned by myself, I felt for myself, and I listened the rhythms that echoed from village festivals, through the hands and breaths of the elders, then practiced on my own,” Bay shared.

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.

Nurtured by the fire in a stilt house, enveloped in the lullabies of his grandmother and mother and the echo of gongs and drums from village festivals, Ho Pa Co A Teng was deeply imbued with the traditional cultural spirit of his people from an early age.

“I am always worried that time passes by too quickly while I am too slow to do many things for my children and grandchildren in the future”, elder Hanh expressed his concern upon gazing at Truong Son (Annamite) mountain range in the distance. For generations, Pa Co people of his kind have taken refuge at the foot of this mountain range. Seeing the traditional culture of their ancestors gradually fading away over the years makes his heart ache, so he must do everything he can to preserve and conserve the beauty of his people.