Dak Nong Province: A gem of ethnic culture, nature and adventure

Dak Nong is the southern gateway to the Central Highlands region, providing a trade conduit to the Southern Key Economic Zones and coastal areas of the southcentral region. Like other provinces in the Central Highlands, Dak Nong has long been home to various ethnic minority groups such as the M’Nong, Ma and Ede.

Dak Nong attracts visitors to its diverse traditional festivals and community activities. Folk dances and the Ot N’drong epic and folk songs of the M’Nong people have been recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as items of Intangible National Cultural Heritage. The culture of the Gong in the Central Highlands region has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Dak Nong also has historical relics such as N’Trang Long and N’Trang Guh, which contribute to the cultural diversity of ethnic minority groups in the province.

Heritage and geology

Ton Thi Ngoc Hanh, Vice Chair of Dak Nong Province’s People’s Committee, said that tourist destinations in the province have been built according to three major topics: “Rhapsody of Fire and Water”, “Wind of Change Concerto”, and “Sounds of the Earth” in order to bring into full play its cultural, heritage and geological values. Dak Nong Geopark, which has been recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark with its stunning volcanic caves, attracts not only Vietnamese and foreign tourists but also scientists and archaeologists.

According to Hanh, Dak Nong Province is calling upon organizations and businesses to participate in tourism and service development, especially in the Dak Nong Geopark. Along with conserving natural landscapes, cultural and geological heritage values and biodiversity, the province is promoting cooperation in tourism development and education in order to enhance community awareness of tourism, contributing to socioeconomic development in the geopark area.

Visitors to Dak Nong will have a chance to discover natural caves, gemstone and mineral mines, and imposing waterfalls. They can also discover tangible and intangible cultural values such as the cultural space of the Gongs in the Central Highlands region, Ot N’drong epic, Nau M’pring (folk songs) of the M’Nong people, lithophone performances and brocade weaving. Special kinds of food prepared by ethnic minority people also attract tourists.

Adventure sports also promise to attract visitors to Dak Nong Province. With plenty of lakes, waterfalls, Ta Dung National Park, Nam Cat Tien National Park, Yok Don National Park, Nam Nung Natural Reserve, Dray Sap special-use forest, Bay Tang (seven-layer) Waterfall, Luu Ly Waterfall, and Dray Sap Waterfall, as well as a special volcanic cave system, Dak Nong has great potential to attract adventure sport lovers.

With more than 70 percent of its population making their living from agriculture, Dak Nong can also promote homestays to give tourists a chance to experience local life and ethnic culture.