Gong Culture of the Central Highlands

In the highlands of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong, gongs are not solo instruments. A set is shared out, one gong to each player, and the melody appears only when the parts interlock, so the ensemble is the village rather than a soloist. The gongs are of bronze or brass alloy, flat or knobbed, held by hand or hung on a frame, and struck with a padded stick or the fist. They belong to the rites of the rice year, to house building, and to welcoming and parting, and are understood as a way of speaking to spirits. UNESCO recognised the practice in 2005 and it now sits on the representative list.

Highlights

• The interlocking parts - each player holds one note, the tune emerging between them.
• The rong house - the tall communal roof of Bahnar and Sedang villages where rites are held.
• Gong sets - flat and knobbed bronze in graded sizes, some held as family wealth.
• Ede longhouses - long stilted timber houses around Buon Ma Thuot, still lived in.

When to go

The dry months from December to March are the practical window, and the coffee harvest around Buon Ma Thuot falls in November and December. Genuine gong playing follows the ritual calendar rather than a timetable and cannot be booked. Cultural centres and some villages arrange evening performances for groups, best asked about locally rather than from the coast.

Good to know

Most visitors will only hear an arranged performance, often bundled with rice wine drunk through a straw from a jar and a fee split unclearly. The highlands are a long way off the usual route and there is little infrastructure for independent travellers. Village visits need a local contact, and arriving with a camera and no introduction is resented.

Nearby

The Dray Nur and Dray Sap waterfalls and the coffee farms around Buon Ma Thuot.