MUONG LUAN TOWER - SYMBOL OF VIETNAM-LAOS SOLIDARITY
According to the words of the elders in the area at that time, this place is one of the provincial monuments ranked up to the national level, exuding a majestic and extremely majestic look when seen. In 1569, it is said that Laos was attacked by the Burmese court (today Myanmar), from which the provinces bordering Laos of Vietnam became a refuge for some people in Upper Laos.
After the end of that Burmese - Laotian war, the Lao people began to settle back in Dien Bien and said: "The land in Muong Luan is very beautiful, like a person standing facing Vietnam, leaning back. about Laos as proof of the solidarity of the two peoples of Vietnam - Laos". Also from that time, a special art-architecture - Muong Luan Tower was built by their own hands.
Materials to build Muong Luan Tower include bricks, lime, mortar, sand and molasses, including 3 main parts: legs, body and tower. The foot of the tower is about 1m high, has a very solid square shape and at the outermost part has a relatively wide corridor. The body of the tower has a large lower part and the upper part gradually gets smaller, with a solid, square tubular shape. Almost the most prominent decorative patterns of the tower are shown in this part. As for the tower, the motifs in the body of the tower are also decorated here, but there are miniatures to create a more elegant and soft feeling for the layout of the tower. Bright red terracotta is the main raw material to create most of these textures and patterns and also mixes white grey, brown grey and dark grey to give the tower a little antique look.
In the past, people here used to hold a ceremony for the tower after the tower was built. Every year, about 5 days before the Lunar New Year of the Kinh people, a good day will be chosen by the shaman to make an offering to the gods. After that, the shaman will choose a large male buffalo and the people will jointly contribute money to buy it, then bring it to the slaughter tower there and wait for it to get dark before performing the ceremony.
Ma River is a river in the basin of the Mekong River, located in Dien Bien Dong district, Ma River has a relatively thick system of rivers and streams and extremely abundant water resources. Running through communes such as Phinh Giang, Hang Liea, Muong Luan, Chieng So, Ma River creates favourable conditions for people here when there is an alluvial ground along the river, extremely fertile soil, very suitable for planting trees. In the high water seasons, shrimps and fishes are overflowing, and alluvium is added to enrich the fertile land.
Hard work is a very good virtue of the Lao people here, they tend to cultivate rice, grow cotton, instruct the generations to follow them to spin yarn, weave cloth, and create beautiful brocade sets to wear in different festivals. On important occasions such as New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, etc. Solidarity is also present in the Lao people here when they live together in a very sociable and joyful way with the Thai, Mong, and Khmu ethnic groups... Having an extremely emotional, sincere and rustic lifestyle, many Thai, Kho Mu, Xinh Mun boys and girls in Luan Gioi, Chieng So have come to be brides and grooms in Lao families.
Now, Muong Luan has about 30% of the entire commune population in Lao. Not only hard work, but Lao people are also very experienced in growing wet rice, cotton weaving, and fishing on the river, which is also the reason why most Lao people here have a prosperous life. stable.