K'Ho, Cơ Ho, or Koho belongs to one of the 53 ethnic minorities in Vietnam. They speak their own Mon-Khmer language, which differs from Vietnamese to such an extent that the Vietnamese do not understand it. They live mainly in Lam Dong province, which is located in the central part of Vietnam. The capital of this province is the mountain town of Dalat at an altitude of 1,500m.
This area was occupied by the French for years, who left a significant impact on the local community, whether it be the cultivation of coffee or wine, but also the fact that this minority professes the Christian faith. In the past, they were persecuted by the communist government itself, because the Vietnamese have their own religion, which is a kind of mixture of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and ancestor-spirit worship. (most sources advise up to 90% of the population to be Buddhist, but they themselves do not like this label very much and prefer the term "Vietnamese folk religion").
They live relatively separated in the mountains, even though the situation has improved significantly and the children now mostly attend Vietnamese schools. However, certain prejudices and rivalries between minorities and Vietnamese still exist today.
It is interesting that the matriarchy rules here to this day. The head of the family is the woman who chooses the groom and he moves into their house after the wedding. At the same time, the woman's family pays for the wedding and brings gifts, mostly in the form of farm animals. The children then carry the woman's last name, and the birth of a daughter is considered very lucky, as she can choose her future husband and thus her future.
Langbiang mountain is located 12km north of Dalat city, it consists of two peaks. The highest rises to a height of 2167 meters and the second is a former military base and radio station at a height of 1950 meters. For easier accessibility, it has become a tourist attraction and offers a beautiful view of Dalat and its surroundings.
The legend of Langbiang Mountain, which is slightly reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, says that the son of a chief from the Lach tribe named K'lang and a girl Ho Biang from the Cil tribe fell in love after K'lang saved her from wild wolves while she was gathering mushrooms in the forest . However, they could not marry, as there was enmity between the Lachov and Cil tribes.
There are two versions of the story, the first says that they moved together to the top of the mountain where they were secretly married, but Biang became seriously ill and when K'lang tried to carry her down to the tribe to seek help. People who considered him a traitor shot a poisoned arrow at him. Ho Biang, who threw herself into the missile to save her beloved, paid for it with her life. K'lang returned to the summit where he mourned and his tears turned into a stream called Dankia or golden stream. He subsequently died of great grief.
The second version is not much happier, after they were prevented from getting married, they both committed suicide. In both versions, the boy's grieving father, K'lang, put an end to the unnecessary hatred, uniting the two feuding tribes and creating one called K'Ho.
Coffee cultivation
The first seeds of Arabica coffee trees were brought to this area by French travelers at the beginning of the 20th century. Coffee became an important item of income for these people and contributed to the overall increase in their standard of living.
However, as is customary in the world, only a fraction of the profit goes to the hard-working farmers themselves, and that is why it is extremely important for us to ensure their adequate remuneration and thereby increasing quality from year to year.
