Explore tourism in Dray Kpor Waterfall, Buon Ma Thuot

Dray Kpor is a beautiful waterfall closely associated with the spiritual life of the Ede Drao people in Ea Kar, Dak Lak. This was also a revolutionary base in the Central Highlands.

Let's explore Dray Kpor Waterfall, Buon Ma Thuot with iguide.ai!

The Central Highlands is not only famous for its coffee flavor and mysterious primeval forests, but it is also associated with glorious victories in the two great resistance wars of the nation. And it is these vast forests that have silently created many legends, past and present.

About 33 km from the center of Ea Kar district, following National Highway 26 towards the central coastal provinces, I turned right to the southeast to reach Cu Bong commune. With high mountains and deep forests located within the range of the majestic southern Truong Son range, bordering Lam Dong province, the climate here is ideal. The name Buon Trung (called M'Trung in the Ede language) arouses my curiosity, not because of the language but because of a legend - the legend of Dray Kpor!

Starting from the Cu Yang range (Ede language, meaning God Mountain) with an altitude of 769 m, the Ea Kpam stream joins the Ea Kpor stream originating from the Cu Kdroa range with an altitude of 700 m; then from an altitude of 550 m generously flows into the Buon Trung valley, before merging with the Krong Pac river.

The majesty of the source of the streams has created a series of four consecutive waterfalls, which then paints a Dray Kpor image that is both wild and fierce, yet also has a mysterious beauty.

According to the Ede language, Dray means waterfall, Kpor means soul. Thus, Dray Kpor waterfall is understood as the “soul” waterfall. Dray Kpor has long been closely associated with the spiritual life of the Ede Drao people in the Cu Yang region with special respect. According to beliefs, it is the place where Yang (God) resides to bestow and protect a prosperous life.

The Dray Kpor stream gracefully stretches over 100m, spreading about 50m of water in front of the majestic mountain with a height of 550m, then suddenly falls down like a game of hide and seek, creating a waterfall up to 30m high in a pristine surprise, making visitors stop and ponder.

But that alone is not enough to convince us that Dray Kpor is a legend, and if it is, it is only in folklore.

Sitting around a jar of rice wine by the flickering fire, listening to village elder Ama Bin recount stories of the period of fighting against American imperialism, one finds "secrets" that are difficult to explain.

The story goes that: In the 60s of the last century, the US - Diem after the extremely cruel Law 10/59, the family regime was the cause of the extremely bizarre campaign of concentrating people, establishing hamlets with the name that reeked of "people's" war: Strategic hamlets throughout the territory of southern Vietnam, starting from this side of the 17th parallel. The Central Highlands, a land of strategic importance, was not outside that campaign.

And Buon Trung, like many other villages, where the "tactical" intention of demagoguery using the Montagnards as the core force (the Fulro force) to eliminate the communists in the area was thoroughly exploited. However, they encountered extremely fierce resistance. The elderly and children all evacuated into the forest, the young people stayed behind to join the revolution to protect the village and the fields.

Currently, the Dak Lak Provincial Cultural Museum is preparing a dossier for the Dray Kpor landscape to submit to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for recognition as a historical relic, with the hope of awakening a cultural tourist destination that has long been dormant in the forest.

In the future, Buon Trung people will be happy to welcome tourists from all over the world to visit. And, certainly, the legendary stories associated with the Ede people's struggle to protect their land will have the opportunity to resound far and wide.

Not only that, the recognition of Dray Kpor as a national heritage also raises awareness of preserving natural resources, and from that pride, the values of preserving and promoting national cultural identity are forever inspired.

Thank you for choosing iguide.ai to accompany your exciting experience!