According to legend, the Thai people, who account for 40 percent of the population of modern-day Dien Bien Province originally named the valley surrounding Dien Bien Phu as Muong Then.
The Thai people linked the land with spirituality, and spoke of Muong Con (the land of the living), Muong Phi (the land of the dead) and Muong Then (the land of God).
The Thai people believe that Then created human beings in a gourd, which he punctured with a stick to release them.
The first people to emerge from the gourd were the Xa, who have the darkest complexions. They were followed in turn by the Thai, the Lao, the Lu, the Mong and finally the Kinh (the Vietnamese ethnic majority).
The gourd then became a mountain, which stands today in Tau Pung Commune in the middle of the Muong Thanh Valley.
It's only fitting then that the Pha Din Pass, which must be crossed to reach Dien Bien Phu and the Muong Thanh Valley from Ha Noi, is also known as Cong Troi – or Heaven's Gate.
The province of Dien Bien lies close to the borders with Laos and China, and has been subject to a history of foreign occupation.
No comments:
Post a Comment