Among Vietnam’s national parks, Pu Mat may be the least-mentioned, not because it lacks endemic flora and fauna, nor because the climate of its jungle-covered mountains is too severe, but because it is very remote and hard to access.
Located in three districts of Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong in Nghe An province, the park seems like the setting of an old legend. From Vinh city, I travel along deserted inter-district roads to the district capital of Con Cuong – a dull mountain town with some two-storey buildings on the main road.
In the glow of sunset, mist rises from the Lam River. The scene looks very gloomy. But my misgivings are fleeting. Tomorrow I will travel to Pu Mat. I feel very excited.
Old trees grow between fields and twisted paths lead to distant places in the rain forest, where border guard-posts and ranger stations are located. To explore Pu Mat, one must travel up the dangerous Giang River and go deep into the mountains of the imposing Truong Son Range. Here, the mysterious villages of the Dan Lai clan are located.
On the river, I sometimes see floats made of bamboo or wooden logs, proof that illegal deforestation is still happening somewhere. Pu Mat, however, remains untouched; life in this mountainous region seems so simple, just like the pungent taste of local liquor and bamboo shoots.
Traveling in this area is not for the faint-of-heart. Only in the jungle can one understand the hardships endured by Vietnam’s border guards, as the river is full of underwater rocks, whirlpools, waterfalls, shallow sections, and sudden curves that threaten the border guards’ lives.
The further upstream we go, the more deserted it becomes. Traveling deeper into the jungle, the harsher the chill. The only way to travel here is by river. The border guards patrol via motor boats. It is hard to imagine how these young soldiers survive their first days in the jungle, on this cruel stream, with the jungle pressing in on both banks.
Millions of tree branches hang low over the water. Dozens of times I spy knife-like rocks appear suddenly from underwater. The motor boat struggles among the whirlpools, threads its way between hidden traps. In shallow sections, all men must jump overboard to push the boat. All muscles tense and all minds concentrate on keeping the boat steady against the strong current that threatens to twist it into scrap metal. A first-time traveler on the Giang River, I get a glimpse into the daily reality of life as a border guard.
When we reach our destination, our efforts are rewarded. In the forests, on a steep slope, we visit a strange community. This is a village of the Dan Lai people. Their name is not included in Vietnam’s official list of ethnic groups. There are no records of their origins. They seem to have no relation to other ethnic groups like the H’mong, Dao, or Tay.
Isolated in the middle of the jungle for generations, the Dan Lai people live in scattered villages in the mountains and forests of Nghe An. They were discovered by the outside world just tens of years ago. After many efforts by the local authorities to improve their quality of life, they still live in extreme poverty. Their flimsy stilt-houses do not stop the chilly mountain winds. Their exhausted terraced rice fields and corn fields cannot provide enough nourishment.
The Dan Lai people depend on the forests to survive. They hunt and collect forest products. They have no written script. Their way of life seems archaic and difficult for outsiders to understand. It is hard to believe that until some years ago the Dan Lai used chang nang – a tool made from wood – with a horizontal bar to support their chins while they slept sitting up.
Dan Lai women
Today, things are different. The Dan Lai villagers we met are used to visits from the border guards. Their children lead fat buffaloes to the river to drink every afternoon. Although they remain isolated from the district capital, Dan Lai people now shop in the district market and send their children to study at a boarding-school.
Each house still features a big fireplace, but some modem household objects are found there too. Walking around the village, I am amazed by the village s wild beauty: blue mountains over the roof tops; neat yellow bamboo fences; children shouting cheerfully and following visitors only to run away like shy muntjacs when I turn my camera their way. Smiles beautify their difficult lives in the middle of the jungles of Pu Mat.
Tips: Pu Luong, Pu Hu, Pu Mat are 3 adjacent national parks. Pu Luong and Pu Hu are located in Thanh Hoa province while Pu Mat belongs to Nghe An province. If Pu Mat is hard to reach, you can travel to Pu Luong – where has stunning rice terrace fields.
Pu Luong national park
