July-2020

THE DÂNGRÊK MOUNTAINS

A CAMBODIAN MASSIF THAT HAS SHAPED KINGDOMS

JULY 2020

The Dângrêk mountains, also called the Chuor Phnum Dangrek of the Khmer, run from northern Cambodia to south of the Isarn plateau in Thailand (the Khorat basin). Its name reflects its importance; the word Dângrêk can be translated as “Rampart of the Kingdom” or “Mountains of the Wall.”

The Dângrêk extend on an east-west axis, some 300km long and 40km wide on average. In Cambodia, they cover the northern part of the Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces and the northwestern part of Banteay Meanchey. In Thailand, they extend through the southern parts of the Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin and Burinam provinces. The Dângrêk are mainly formed of sandstone, but some basalt flows can be found, notably in Dong Chan Yai and Dong Chan Noi in Ubon Ratchathani province. Despite the length of the range, the Dângrêk mountains are relatively low, with an average altitude of about 500m. The Phu Khi Suk is the highest point (753m), located at the eastern end of the mountains in the Chong Bok area on the border of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. The other peaks are Phu Khok Yai (693m), Phu Chep Thong (692m), Phu Tangok (689m), Phalan Sun (670m), Phanom Ai Nak (638m), Phanom Thaban (582m) and Khao Banthat (374m) at the western end. The northern side of the Dângrêk slopes gently northward, while the southern side is made up of escarpments and long, bar-shaped cliffs that dominate the plains and the forests of northern Cambodia. A few rivers originate here, including the Stung Sen, one of the major tributaries of Tonle Sap Lake.

The Dângrêk mountains are mainly covered with dry evergreen forests (mixed dipterocarpus, deciduous dipterocarpus forests) with dry forests in its foothills. Dominant tree varieties include the Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Shorea siamensis, Xylia xylocarpa, and Dalbergia cochinchinensis. The forests are home to wild boar, deer, gibbons, some panthers and civets, various varieties of reptiles, and tropical birds including the white-winged duck. There are various nature reserves on the mountains, such as the Banteay Chhmar and Kulen Prum Tep reserves in Cambodia and the Huai Sala and Yot Dom sanctuaries and the Ta Phraya and Khao Phra Wihan National Parks in Thailand.

Before the 14th century, the Dângrêk belonged entirely to the Khmer kings, whose territory extended far to the north in the current Isarn plateau. Beginning in 1351, the Angkorian royals extended their kingdom over a large part of Thailand at the expense of the Khmer provinces. Between 1795-1796, Thailand (then Siam) annexed much of northern Cambodia, including Angkor, without any convention, and then the province of Stung Treng in 1813. The Franco-Khmer treaty of 11 August 1863 released Cambodia from Siamese rule.

The Dângrêk remain at the center of territorial disputes between Cambodia and Thailand. A major point of conflict is ownership of the Preah Vihear temple, a quarrel which dates back to the Franco-Khmer treaty of 1863. After a series of conventions, advances and retreats, the situation worsened between 1953 and 2008, when various incidents and diplomatic affairs disturbed relations and led to an armed conflict. As of 2011, the area has been calm, and Preah Vihear and the Dângrêk have once again opened their doors

THE DONG SON
SOUTHEAST ASIA'S DISTINCTIVE BRONZE/IRON AGE CIVILIZATIONE

The Dong Son culture (or Dongson, translated as East Mountain) flourished in the Hong, Ma and Ca Rivers of northern Vietnam – once called the land of “Crocodile-Men” by the Chinese – between the seventh century BCE to the second century CE, with some scholars suggesting a start as early as 1000 BCE. Also known as the Lac Viet, the Dong Son were late Bronze/early Iron Age metallurgists regarded as the ancestors of modern Vietnamese and considered Southeast Asia’s most distinctive early civilization. Major debates exist on whether the Dong Son culture was a state-level society or a loose confederation of villages that shared cultural material and practices. It is best known for its mortuary sites and bronze wares, including so-called drums (or gongs). These drums were unique and distinctive objects – lavishly decorated with geometric patterns, tableaus of daily life, ritual scenes, and depictions of warriors – that were apparently both musical instruments and communal celebrations.

The Dong Son split their food economies between fishing, hunting, and farming based on the wet rice cultivation. They are credited with beginning the process of changing the low-lying Red River Delta area into a thriving rice-growing region and developing upland cultures. Their settlements consisted of houses on stilts with thatched roofs that varied in size depending on social ranking. Artisans produced a wealth of bronze items, including tools, vessels, ornaments, weapons, arrowheads, grooved net sinkers, socketed spearheads, axes, bells, ceramics, beads, bracelets, belt hooks, buckles and illustrious figurines such as those created by the Maasai of Africa. Seafaring was also an important element of Dong Son culture, which is evidenced by a handful of boat-shaped cofﬁn burials uncovered by modern excavations.

Early Chinese texts indicate Chinese commercial interest in the northern region of Vietnam and detail the trade objects they sought, such as rhino horns, elephant tusks, medicinal plants, and forest products. The Chinese held sway in northern Vietnam for a thousand years, and their influence is evident in later Dong Son artifacts. In the second century BCE, the Dong Son homeland in Southeast Asia ﬁnally succumbed to Chinese invasions from the north, and the entire region was incorporated into the territory of the Han dynasty

SOPHIE HUGHES
UNDERSTANDING VIETNAM HISTORY THROUGH ART

Sophie Hughes is an innovative art curator who is bringing international visitors closer to Vietnam’s flourishing art community. A native of the UK who has lived in Vietnam since 2009, Sophie is passionate about connecting with Vietnamese art on a more profound level beyond context-less displays at museums. This passion led the former gallery manager and film festival director to develop Sophie’s Art Tour, a four-hour tour in Hanoi that takes a closer look at Vietnam through the eyes of its artists. Sophie spent two years visiting museums and independent galleries, conducting countless interviews with artists struggling to tell their stories in a stifling art space. The experience enabled Sophie to weave together the most evocative elements into a coherent visual journey of Vietnam’s art scene and history. Sophie’s Art Tour brings art to life by highlighting the personal experiences and roles of the artists who studied, fought, witnessed, and documented the country’s major changes during the 20th and 21st centuries.

Meet Sophie for an informal evening at her personal atelier in Hue, built in the imperial architectural style. Immerse yourself in intriguing facets of Vietnam’s history, such as the story of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam which reigned from 1802 - 1945 – a fascinating period that saw Vietnam transition from imperial expansion to colonialism and the beginning of the modern epoch. Dine on traditional delicacies created in the Imperial Palace kitchens to please the Emperor’s sophisticated palate. Stroll through Sophie’s captivating art collection and marvel over works by some of the most intriguing emerging and established artists. Each work of art tells a thought-provoking story of contemporary Vietnam, touching on issues of identity, memory, nationhood as well as reflection on the past and exploration into the future

THE LOMA OF NORTHERN LAOS
A TRIBAL, NOMADIC PEOPLE UNTOUCHED BY TIME5

Secret Indochina returns to the majestic Phu Sang massif in northern Laos with a look at one of its most fascinating ethnic groups, the Loma. Located in the southern part of Phongsaly province, Phu Sang is home to mysterious Tibeto-Burmese sub-groups belonging to the Akha (Iko) group, literally the intermediate or in-between people. The Tibeto-Burmese of Laos are of a rare ethnic complexity, since they are divided into 33 groups including the Akha, the Sila, the Sida, the Poussang, the Keu, the Alou, the Black Lo Lo, the Hayi, the Ho, the Pounoy and the Mousseur. The Akha themselves are divided into 22 sub-groups, with 30,000 souls in Phongsaly province.

There are about 3,000 Loma (Ko Lu Ma or Luma) spread among ten villages in the south and center of Phu Sang. One of the most important is Ban Laosen, where 89 families (around 600 people) live in the heart of the massif under Mount Katchouma-Katchouma, a sacred mountain covered with an equally sacred forest. Arranged in lines along the eastern face of the mountain, the houses overlook a deep valley and a series of long ridges that seem to stretch to infinity.

Regarding their origins, the Loma speculate that they once lived on a high mountain in China. A landslide separated the group, with some sliding towards Laos and others northern China. In Laos, the first Loma groups settled in caves or built troglodyte shelters. They later organized themselves into small kingdoms. One of the Loma kings allied himself with a Ho king, and upon his death, the Ho began a long war that eventually drove the Loma back into the depths of Phu Sang, creating a refuge where they have lived ever since.

The Loma are distinguished by their self-sufficiency and the splendid ornaments worn by the women. These ornaments showed a rich and unusual sense of aesthetics – headdresses and tiaras covered with silver, coins, and piastres from French Indochina; inlaid bracelets; silver platelets; shell belts; heavy pearl or glass necklaces; precious pendants; chiseled brooches; fine colored embroidery with an incongruous mix of colors; and subtle shades of outfits, for example.anci.

THE MIG-21
DECAYING PRE-ANGKORIAN RUINS
DECAYING PRE-ANGKORIAN RUINS

Loma social organization is reminiscent of the ancient kingdoms. They follow an ancient code of conduct called the Akhazan, in which each village has a chief and a deputy chosen from among the wealthiest inhabitants. They govern with the help of notables selected by the chief, and the number varies depending on the size of the village. As animists, the Loma believe that humanity’s destiny is in the hands of spirits. Their villages are protected by a series of talismans placed at the main entrances, and shamans navigate between dimensions for annual ceremonies, weddings, funerals, healing, and other affairs. The ancestors established morals and customs that must be strictly observed, so life is dictated by a series of ancient traditions and superstitions. Any deviation would, sooner or later, lead to serious misfortune.

Loma women wear long skirts and dark blue vests that are embroidered with orange-pink geometric figures. They are often covered with heavy necklaces and pink glass jewelry. The Loma wear unusual headdresses; conical ones for brides and flat ones for bachelors, decorated with piastres and silver coins. The Loma household is not considered a property. It is built by all the villagers, on the hillside or on the ground. Formerly massive and built of clay, the Loma houses are now made of wood and covered with a roof of straw or sheet metal. A Loma house typically has a large common room with alcoves or small rooms that are extremely simple and practically devoid of furniture, apart from a few beds or bedsteads, low chairs, and a fire. When the occupants of a house leave, it is forbidden to live in the house or take the wood for heating or cooking. The only alternative is to destroy the house and build another one. Villagers have just a few belongings, including gongs, silver objects buried underground or made into jewelry, a few rudimentary instruments, opium, and their animals (buffaloes, oxen, pigs, and chickens).

The Loma are farmers who practice slash-and-burn mountain rice cultivation. They do not feel the need to own land; they work the land and abandon it when it becomes exhausted. Thus, villages were traditionally moved every seven or eight years, giving the Loma a tribal, nomadic lifestyle. They also grow legumes, tobacco, poppy, corn, cotton, indigo, sesame and produce their honey

Secret Indochina is a Destination Management Company of Amica JSC, established in 2011 following the encounter of Tran Quang Hieu and Nicolas Vidal, two professionals passionate about authentic and impactful travel. Secret Indochina strives to lead travellers to outstanding sites, magical places, and little-known ethnic communities in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia

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