About Ghenh Da Dia - listening to the thousand-year-old stone instrument

Tourists' journey will be more complete when visiting "Hon Xua" - a unique cultural space right at the entrance of the relic, where the lithophone sounds like a bridge from the past 2,500 years ago to today.

Just past the relic gate, on the hundred-meter-long path covered with cool green shade, visitors can hear the echoing, clear sound of the lithophone, like a call from thousands of years ago, mixed with the sound of the waves lapping against the rocks. Not simply ancient music , the lithophone pieces at Hon Xua are combined with many modern genres, bringing a new and exciting experience.

Interestingly, the performers are not musicians or long-time artists, but rather the staff serving at the cultural space. With skillful hands, they take the audience from traditional revolutionary melodies such as Co gai vot troi, Tieng zither Ta Lu, Bai ca nu tu ve Sai Gon... to songs about the homeland of Dak Lak. The sound of the lithophone is sometimes deep, sometimes shrill, sometimes clear, combined with modern sounds, making the audience feel like they are drawn into a world of music that is both familiar and strange.

The staff at the cultural space skillfully took the listeners from one melody to another from the lithophones.

Mr. Tran Quang Tin, a tour guide from Lam Dong, shared: “The experience at Ganh Da Dia has now become much more special: not only can visitors admire the natural wonder, but they can also listen to the magical sounds coming from the rocks themselves. With the delicate arrangement at Hon Xua, visitors feel like they are embarking on a journey to explore the landscape and immerse themselves in the cultural space imbued with Dak Lak."

Not only listening, many tourists are also excited to experience it themselves. Ms. Nguyen Kim Ngan (Ben Tre) was surprised: "When I first heard it, I thought lithophone was only for ancient music, but when I heard the music with modern melodies, I was really surprised. Especially, when I held the hammer myself, letting each stone resonate with a clear sound, I had a new and profound experience, an unforgettable impression."

The journey to explore Ganh Da Dia is not just about admiring the scenery, but also about listening and touching the "ancient soul" of the land - where rocks speak, tell stories about the past and still resonate in today's life.

If the lithophone is the highlight, the entire space of Hon Xua is a lively “mini museum”. Here, thousands of stone mills are arranged in a unique mountainside.

Many tourists, when stopping here, reminisce about their childhood, remember the image of a peaceful village with objects that have now become a thing of the past; jars, stoves, gongs, double drums, five-stringed gongs - objects closely associated with the community life of the Ba Na, Ede, and Cham people.

Amidst the traditional stilt house scene, visitors can easily feel the breath of the ancient village coming back to life.

In particular, many rare artifacts are displayed here: unique Quang Duc ceramic products that were once famous in Tuy An, a collection of ethnic mountain musical instruments, traditional costumes, household items such as bronze pots, bronze pans, baskets, jars...

All combined with the sound of lithophones and gongs, evoke a diverse cultural picture, where each object tells a story about the life of the people of Dak Lak over the centuries.

Visitors experience lithophones themselves at the Hon Xua cultural space.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Nghiep, founder of Hon Xua space, shared: “My idea is very simple: to create a stopover for visitors not only to visit the beautiful scenery, but also to learn more about the culture, history and life of the land. Here, lithophone is not only for performance, but also a way for us to feel the continuity between yesterday and today.”

To have this space, Mr. Nghiep has spent many years collecting, searching and restoring lithophones. Up to now, he has crafted more than 20 sets of lithophones, each set has from 19 to 42 bars, of various sizes and ranges. Notably, 2 of these sets are made entirely from natural stone, without any processing, and are considered rare "curiosities". The combination of performing arts and displaying artifacts makes Hon Xua a space that is both experiential and educational. For visitors, this is a place where they can touch, listen, see and feel directly. For the younger generation, this is also an opportunity to understand that culture is not only in books, but is present, close and can inspire creativity.

In the context of tourism needing many new products to retain visitors, Hon Xua is an example of the harmonious combination of natural heritage and cultural heritage. Amidst the ocean waves and majestic cliffs, the sound of the lithophone resounds, becoming a distinctive sound, contributing to imprinting the image of Dak Lak in the hearts of friends and visitors.

Pham Thuy

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/du-lich/202509/ve-ganh-da-dia-nghe-dan-da-ngan-nam-161214a/