(VOVWORLD) - The Ca Dong, a branch of the Xo-Dang ethnic minority group, live primarily in Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam province. The Ca Dong have always revered water resources as the prime source of life. Every year, at the end of November or the beginning of December, when the harvest season has ended, the Ca Dong conduct a ceremony to worship the water trough.
 Ca Dong people thank deities for allowing them to build the water trough to carry water to the village. (photo: Khanh Nguyen/dantocmiennui.vn) |
When selecting land to establish a village, the Ca Dong prefer to settle near a water source. At the entrance of the village, typically the cleanest area, they build a water wharf and trough. The Water Trough Worship Ceremony is performed with great solemnity and respect.
Early in the morning, every Ca Dong man and woman dons a beautiful traditional costume and gathers at the communal house in the middle of the village. The worship space is adorned with colorful decorations and the patriarch conducts the ritual to the sound of gongs in the background.
The patriarch reads prayers and tells the villagers to keep their water source clean and pure, stay united, support each other, and work hard to obtain a bountiful harvest.
Before the ceremony, the patriarch assigns young men to set up a flagpole and clear a path to the stream to get water. Then they repair and reinforce the water trough.
Patriarch Nguyen Duc Thuong of Tra Don commune, Nam Tra My district, said: “First we organize a meeting to decide on a date to hold the ceremony. Then we assign people to cut a tall, straight tree for a Neu pole. The patriarch warns the villagers to keep their water source clean and not cut the trees or destroy anything. If they violate those rules, they will be fined.”
 Ca Dong people tie threads around the wrist of the patriarch as a token of the community's trust. (Photo: Khanh Nguyen/dantocmiennui.vn) |
Planting the Neu tree is the important first step of the ceremony. The men erect the tree and decorate it with ceremonial offerings. After the ritual, the young men place water pipes in the stream to bring water to the village. When the water starts flowing into the village trough beside the Neu tree, each household uses a bamboo tube to carry water to their home for cooking.
The women prepare traditional dishes such as grilled bamboo rice, buffalo-shaped cakes, and liquor served in vases. Ho Thi Hang, a resident of Tra Don commune, said: “We bake the cakes in bamboo tubes. We also use bamboo tubes to fetch water from the trough. We pray for prosperity, a bountiful harvest, and for the children to study well.”
Dinh Van Vuong, Chairman of the Tra Don People’s Committee, said the water trough ceremony is an age-old ritual of the Ca Dong.
“This is an occasion for people to meet and tell each other how to protect the forests, their water source, and their village and share experience in farming and husbandry. We encourage each other to work harder and continue to promote our cultural traditions.”
In the current integration process, cultural exchange and improved living conditions have brought changes to the lifestyle and culture of ethnic groups. The water trough ceremony plays a key role in preserving the cultural identity of ethnic communities in Quang Nam province. It also draw tourists and enhances local life and society.