Visiting Bom Bo to experience S’tieng and M’nong traditional rice pounding

On weekends, instead of seeking familiar cultural activities, residents and visitors can visit the S'tieng Ethnic Cultural Conservation Area in Bom Bo Hamlet, Bom Bo Commune, where they can experience the traditional practice of pounding rice with wooden pestles and hear stories about the labor and cultural life of ethnic minority groups in the Dong Nai region.

The traditional hand-pounding rice practice of the S’tieng and M’nong people is recreated in a demonstration model at the S’tieng Ethnic Cultural Conservation Area in Bom Bo Hamlet.

Hand-pounding rice may seem simple, but maintaining a steady rhythm requires participants to coordinate their movements and conserve their strength. Starting with sun-dried paddy, the S’tieng and M’nong people pound, sieve and winnow it to remove the husks and clean the rice grains. Mortars, pestles, winnowing trays, and carrying baskets are familiar tools closely associated with the community’s traditional working life.

The practice of hand-pounding rice is also linked to a historical chapter for the S’tieng and M’nong people in Dong Nai. During the resistance war against U.S. imperialism, the local ethnic communities contributed manpower and material resources, sheltered cadres and soldiers, and produced food to serve the revolution. The rice grains from that period embodied the spirit of sharing among families, villages, and hamlets. The ethnic communities worked tirelessly to produce food and contribute rice to support the troops until the day of total victory.

At the S’tieng Ethnic Cultural Conservation Area in Bom Bo Hamlet, residents and visitors are invited to pick up a pestle and try lifting and bringing it down in rhythm. When many people take part, the successive sounds of the pestles create a lively rhythm, evoking the atmosphere of communal work. After experiencing rice pounding, visitors can learn about the art of gongs, as well as the traditional culture and cuisine of the S’tieng and M’nong people.

A weekend visit to Bom Bo offers travelers a glimpse into the lives of the S’tieng and M’nong people through seemingly simple experiences. Each strike of the pestle not only evokes a traditional way of working but also tells a story of the bonds and spirit of sharing among the ethnic communities on this land. When leaving Bom Bo, visitors take with them not only new experiences but also another story about the land and people of Dong Nai.

By M.N – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha