Ethnic
tribes and tourists are traveling far to reach Pongour Falls in Duc
Trong District in Lam Dong Province to join a festival under the lunar
year’s first full moon today.
The
annual festival attracts not only Ma, K’ho, Tay, Churu and other ethnic
groups, but also tourists from the Central Highlands province and
elsewhere in the country. As usual, they come there to frolic on the
rocks and celebrate the festival at the base of the 20-meter-high falls
in Tan Hoi Commune.
Travelers also take the opportunity to admire and take photos of this waterfall, which is among the most beautiful ones in the south of the Central Highlands region.
Located 50 kilometers from the province’s capital of Dalat, Pongour is also called Paradise or Seven-Tier Falls because the water cascades over seven levels.
In addition to joining festive and religious activities, the people who visit Pongour today often also have different purposes in mind. Many want to learn about the unique cultures of ethnic groups. Others look for a sweetheart or make wishes, which they believe will become true in the new year.
Most young couples climb up to the tiers to prove their love to each other, inspired by an old legend.
According to this legend, a king one day took his wife to walk along a turbulent stream to view the nature’s beauty there. Suddenly, the king noticed that the queen was weeping bitterly.
She had dropped her ring that bore their vows to each other into the water. So many of her tears fell into the stream that the waterfall was created.
Since then it is believed that the ring appears on the first full moon every lunar year, and loving couples who happen to see it will become husbands and wives.
Another legend tells a different story about Pongour’s creation. According to it, the first full moon was chosen as the year’s big anniversary for the tribe of Kanai, a young and beautiful chief who was stronger than all the men of several ethnic groups.
Her power and influence were so strong that the disloyal would be unable to return home after reaching the falls because the Lord of the Pongour would keep them there.
Legend has it that Kanai once ruled the region where the falls are today. The queen captured and tamed four rhinoceros and used them to prevent invaders from the forests and mountains under her control.
At that time, the Cham people from the present-day Phan Rang in the central province of Ninh Thuan would frequently attack Kanai’s land, enslaving her people. Bent on freeing her people, Kanai herself, riding on a rhino, led her troops toward the Cham’s area and successfully rescued hundreds of K’ho and other people.
However, Kanai was angry to find out that many wanted to remain the enemy’s slaves. Having no other choice, Kanai punished the betrayers.
Kanai worked hard to give her people a better life. Together with the four rhinos, she leveled mountains to make more land for her people to live and farm. Pongour is a mark that the four beasts left as they did their job.
Whether the stories about Pongour are true or not remains unimportant, but many ethnic people and tourists flock to the waterfall on the first full moon to play folk games, cook specialties, sing ballads, listen to the myths surrounding the falls and make new friends.
One of the common scenes is youngsters climbing and playing among the tiers of the waterfall, which is not strong at the moment.
Nowadays, even outside the festival, Pongour is a popular destination because of its magnificent beauty and the sweet symphony that the falling water creates and that can be heard far away.
To reach the falls, visitors must take an eight-kilometer road from National Highway 20 and descend a winding path.
Travelers also take the opportunity to admire and take photos of this waterfall, which is among the most beautiful ones in the south of the Central Highlands region.
Located 50 kilometers from the province’s capital of Dalat, Pongour is also called Paradise or Seven-Tier Falls because the water cascades over seven levels.
In addition to joining festive and religious activities, the people who visit Pongour today often also have different purposes in mind. Many want to learn about the unique cultures of ethnic groups. Others look for a sweetheart or make wishes, which they believe will become true in the new year.
Most young couples climb up to the tiers to prove their love to each other, inspired by an old legend.
According to this legend, a king one day took his wife to walk along a turbulent stream to view the nature’s beauty there. Suddenly, the king noticed that the queen was weeping bitterly.
She had dropped her ring that bore their vows to each other into the water. So many of her tears fell into the stream that the waterfall was created.
Since then it is believed that the ring appears on the first full moon every lunar year, and loving couples who happen to see it will become husbands and wives.
Another legend tells a different story about Pongour’s creation. According to it, the first full moon was chosen as the year’s big anniversary for the tribe of Kanai, a young and beautiful chief who was stronger than all the men of several ethnic groups.
Her power and influence were so strong that the disloyal would be unable to return home after reaching the falls because the Lord of the Pongour would keep them there.
Legend has it that Kanai once ruled the region where the falls are today. The queen captured and tamed four rhinoceros and used them to prevent invaders from the forests and mountains under her control.
At that time, the Cham people from the present-day Phan Rang in the central province of Ninh Thuan would frequently attack Kanai’s land, enslaving her people. Bent on freeing her people, Kanai herself, riding on a rhino, led her troops toward the Cham’s area and successfully rescued hundreds of K’ho and other people.
However, Kanai was angry to find out that many wanted to remain the enemy’s slaves. Having no other choice, Kanai punished the betrayers.
Kanai worked hard to give her people a better life. Together with the four rhinos, she leveled mountains to make more land for her people to live and farm. Pongour is a mark that the four beasts left as they did their job.
Whether the stories about Pongour are true or not remains unimportant, but many ethnic people and tourists flock to the waterfall on the first full moon to play folk games, cook specialties, sing ballads, listen to the myths surrounding the falls and make new friends.
One of the common scenes is youngsters climbing and playing among the tiers of the waterfall, which is not strong at the moment.
Nowadays, even outside the festival, Pongour is a popular destination because of its magnificent beauty and the sweet symphony that the falling water creates and that can be heard far away.
To reach the falls, visitors must take an eight-kilometer road from National Highway 20 and descend a winding path.
Author: SGT
