As it opened into a small clearing in this so-called “valley of rocks,” a sprinkling of dilapidated houses finally emerges. The shadows of human inhabitants begin to emerge, moving about inside their makeshift shelters looking out with curiosity at the rare visitors.
The hamlet is home to 56 households, of which 43 are members of the Ruc ethnic minority group.
When asked why the area was so sparsely populated and lacking in basic amenities, hamlet chief Tran Xuan Tu replied: “Everyone has gone into the forest. Several households would go up to the caves for a few days and then return here for a few days. Some families would remain in the caves for up to a month.”
Meager habitat
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A boy of the Ruc ethnic minority group on his way to the farming area |
A 19-year-old local named Quang took Thanh Nien correspondent on a trip from the resettlement area to the caves. The journey required wading through a waist-deep fast-flowing brook, hiking up a wet dirt road overgrown by vegetation, and scrambling over a tree bridge crossing a wide spring.
Along the way, Quang ran into four girls and a boy carrying rattan baskets going to dig for cassava tubers. The local guide explained that the Ruc people cannot farm well so many have to survive on a paltry diet of cassava, plants grown in the forest, and wild animals.
When we finally arrived at the cave of Quang’s grandparents, located about a 25-30 meters straight climb from the foot of the mountain, we found some items belonging to the couple, including old clothes, blankets, mosquito-nets, a saucepan, a thin sheet of iron with holes for grinding cassava tubers, a fishing net made from a damaged mosquito-net, and a homemade mousetrap.
A small smooth area covered by reed-woven mats was reserved for sleeping. There was no rice, water, salt, or lamps inside the cave.
Quang went to fetch the grandfather, who was old and extremely frail. He appeared shrunken in a set of worn clothes, his bare feet covered with rough skin due to having to traverse the harsh terrain daily.
With a sad face, Loa said he had checked the traps placed the previous night but found no mice. He and his wife would therefore eat only cassava for the day.
Unskilled farmers
No one knows exactly how many caves exist on the treacherous limestone cliffs of Minh Hoa District. But each grotto could serve as a home for the Ruc people whenever they go scavenging for food in the forest or farm far from the hamlet.
According to hamlet chief Tu, members of the ethnic minority group usually grow corn and cassava but their crops are destroyed by cows from a neighboring area. Since the Ruc people lack farming experience and don’t know how to protect their crops from the encroaching beasts, many suffer from hunger or malnutrition.
Moreover, the local administration lacks sufficient funds to develop training programs to improve agricultural techniques for the relocated locals.
Upon leaving On Hamlet, one last glance back at the scant residences makes one wonder if the resettlement effort has been a complete failure, and why many Ruc households were simply returning to the caves to lead a miserable primitive existence they have long grown used to.
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GROWING PAINS
The Ruc people were believed to be the last among the ethnic minority communities discovered in Vietnam from 1959-1960. The group comprises of more than 30 people possessing primitive appearances: they had long hair, wore tree barks, ate leaves, roots and wild animals, and were very frightened of strangers.
In the years following their discovery, local authorities and border guards convinced the community to relocate to a new settlement area and practice a modern way of life.
In 2004, construction of a power network, roads, schools and houses for the Ruc and other ethnic minority groups in Quang Binh Province was completed. They were taught farming techniques and provided with livestock and seedlings. However, agriculture development has faced many obstacles due to inclement weather, crop diseases and bad harvests. |
Reported by Truong Quang Nam |
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