Open house- Nha Rong. Home, guesthouse, men's club, training centre, committee room and religious space - there are many uses for the soaring Bahnar communal house being built at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi Dr. Claire Sutherland reports.

Opened in June of this year, the Bahnar communal house tells a story of international co-operation to rescue a traditional feature of Vietnam's Central Highlands from oblivion. Only painstaking ethnographic research based on old photographs and folk memory, coupled with joint funding from the museum and the German government, made reconstruction in the traditional style possible.

The sharply angled building stands a breathtaking 17 meters high, making it an attention-grabbing centrepiece for the museum's outdoor collection of ethnic minority houses. Built by a team of 29 artisans under the expert guidance of museum ethnologists, it is a unique testimony to traditional Bahnar building styles, all but wiped out by the tribulations of history and a modernising drive. Today's Bahnar communities are likely to have a communal house of cement and corrugated iron in the village centre, if at all.

The reason for the house's extraordinaiy shape remains unclear, adding an aura of mystery to the surprising structure. Perhaps the ritual poles in the foreground, planted to form a bridge between the earthly and the spiritual worlds, hold a clue to the house's symbolic meaning. It is certainly awe-inspiring, as befits the traditional power centre of Bahnar communities.

At the same time, the house represents a haven for the Bahnar boys who live in it before their marriage to acquire the knowledge and skills required for their adult life. Village elders teach the arts of hunting, basket-weaving and music. They pass down the moral code, the history and folklore of their forefathers. The communal house truly constitutes a centre of village activity, where guests enjoy Bahnar hospitality, important decisions are taken and religious rituals conducted. Although usually a male preserve during and after construction, women traditionally had the job of gathering thalch for the roof. All share in the ritual feasts held inside the house.

Sponsored Links - Ads by Google
First Choice Travel - Provides Cambodia Travel Services for visitors.

Laos tour, lao travel, laos travel company, laos travel agency Book now for the travel packages in Laos at www.newroadtour.com

Travel Cambodia, cambodia tours, cambodia heritage tours
Book now for the travel packages in Cambodia, cultural tours at www.cambodiatravel.vn

FirstChoiceVietnam.Com - Provides Vietnam Travel and Tour Services for visitors.

Hanoi Airlines - Provides Hanoi Flight Tickets, Vietnam hotel, Halong bay cruise for visitors.

Travel agency in Vietnam, tour operator Vietnam, resorts Vietnam Book now for travel packages in Vietnam, luxury vacations at www.firstchoice.vn

Travel link exchange, hotel link exchange, travel directory in Asia Add your site to the Asia largest online directory- travel websites at www.traveldesks.com

Cruise halong bay- Vietnam, junk boat Halong bay, tour halong List all luxury junk boats in Halong bay- Vietnam at www.cruiseshalong.com

Halong bay tour, halong boat, cruise halong, travel halong List your boats in Halong bay - book tour, car service in Halong bay at www.halongbayonline.com

Halong boat, cruise halong, travel halong, Red Dragon Cruise Red Dragon Junk Boat on Halong bay- Vietnam- luxury accommodation at www.reddragoncruise.com

Mekong delta trip, cruise mekong delta, cruises mekong Vietnam Offering short tours in Mekong Delta (Vietnam & Cambodia), Indochina tours at www.mekongdelta-travel.com

Sapa travel, travel to sapa from Hanoi by train, victoria sapa hotel, train sapa Book overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, Stay in Victoria hotel in Sapa Vietnam at www.travelsapa.com

Vietnam Laos Cambodia Travel agency, tour operator in Indochina Vietnam travel agency offering low-cost tour packages, room reservation and boat cruises at www.viethoteltravel.com

Vietnam budget travel, vietnam hostels, vietnam backpackers tour Budget Travel in Asia: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, student accommodation, low rate hotel rooms booking at www.vietnambudgettour.com

Saigon tour, Saigon travel company, travel agency, saigon tour company Book now for the travel packages in Saigon Ho Chi Minh at www.newroadtravel.com