Drawing from the legacy of their ancestors, young people in Dak Lak are helping preserve and share the richness of ethnic cultures using modern platforms and fresh approaches.
The female Party Secretary of Ako Dhong believes effective tourism must stay rooted in cultural identity.
Among them is H’Zu Ni Nie, a young woman from the historic Ako Dhong village in Dak Lak. She was one of 27 outstanding individuals recently honored by the Central Youth Union for her leadership, cultural contributions, and entrepreneurial success in ethnic minority communities in 2025.
Born in 1994, H’Zu Ni Nie recently celebrated her national recognition with family and friends, proudly holding the certificate of merit that represents years of personal dedication and the support of her community.
Proud of her Ede heritage, H’Zu Ni Nie expresses her identity through every word and gesture. Clad in a striking brocade dress, she walks gracefully down the stairs of a traditional longhouse, greeting guests with a radiant smile and sparkling brown eyes that echo the warmth of her people.
Despite earning a degree in biology education, she chose not to stay in the city after graduation. Instead, she returned home, fully aware of the importance of preserving and nurturing her ethnic heritage.
Ako Dhong, a hundred-year-old village nestled in the heart of Buon Ma Thuot, still holds firm to its cultural roots. The village is home to 32 longhouses, numerous sets of gongs, traditional instruments, and a community of skilled artisans who maintain intangible heritage and ancestral crafts.
Leading cultural tourism at home
H’Zu Ni Nie was recognized as one of 27 outstanding ethnic minority youths in 2025.
With her own unique style, H’Zu Ni Nie has helped bring the hidden beauty of her culture closer to both local and international tourists. When Ako Dhong was designated Dak Lak’s first official community-based tourism village, she took an active role in its management board.
To H’Zu Ni Nie and the residents of Ako Dhong, tourism rooted in culture not only supports economic development but also strengthens community identity.
They preserve and promote indigenous products - such as brocade weaving, bamboo weaving, and folk wood carving - while showcasing Ede customs to the world.
Her dream is to share and spread the natural and cultural beauty of her homeland. “Only the Ede can truly tell our story,” she said, expressing a collective hope to preserve their heritage and build prosperity from it.
She has also encouraged residents - especially youth - to clean village roads regularly, creating green, clean, and inviting spaces. She motivates young people to attend community tourism workshops and take part in classes on gong performance and traditional xoang dance, preparing them to perform for visitors.
At night, fires crackle in the Ban Me dark as gongs echo into the highland sky. Cups of fermented rice wine pass from hand to hand. Barefoot dancers move in rhythm under the stars. Elders seated on k’pan chairs perform traditional melodies, bringing people together through joyful movement and shared cultural pride.
A young leader in the community
H’Zu Ni Nie inside a traditional longhouse in the historic Ako Dhong village, Dak Lak.
To the villagers of Ako Dhong, the name H’Zu Ni Nie has become a familiar one.
Despite her youth, she has already earned a reputation as a strong, compassionate leader. In 2022, as Secretary of the Youth Union, she took Ako Dhong’s image far beyond village borders - joining tourism events in northern provinces, participating in training programs, and representing her community at the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival.
In early 2025, she was unanimously elected as the Party Secretary of Ako Dhong, further cementing her role in village leadership.
Over the years, she has launched various youth programs, mobilized volunteers, and initiated charity projects such as “Warm Coats for Children” and “Mid-Autumn Festival for Kids,” encouraging young people to give back to their communities.
Passing down heritage through action
Most importantly, she has ignited a passion for culture among local youth.
Working with village leaders, she continues to raise awareness of Ede traditions and actively promotes ancestral crafts like brocade weaving and traditional rice wine brewing.
Thanks to these efforts, four households in the village still maintain brocade weaving, and nearly every family continues brewing traditional rice wine. At least four to five families produce it regularly for sale, creating sustainable income while showcasing village specialties to tourists.
H’Zu Ni Nie also helped found the Ede Youth Club - an inclusive space for 50 young people across Dak Lak to share knowledge, preserve cultural values, and participate in creative and artistic community events.
The club is now officially part of the National Volunteer Center’s Central Highlands network and has spearheaded various projects, including the “Sunlight in the Village” initiative, which helps revive community culture by offering training in rice wine brewing, brocade weaving, and performing arts.
Preserving coffee culture and native language
For her, cultural heritage is not just pride - it is the priceless wealth of the Ede community.
Beyond her cultural work, H’Zu Ni Nie is also a role model for youth entrepreneurship.
Inspired by her love for Central Highlands coffee, she has committed to preserving the traditional Ede roasting method. She believes that every sip should carry the warmth of culture and the rhythm of hands roasting beans and grinding them by mortar and pestle.
Ako Dhong is also one of the few villages in Vietnam where the Ede language and script are still actively used - a cultural treasure that H’Zu Ni Nie is determined to preserve.
To prepare for launching an online Ede language channel by the end of 2025, she has been attending language pedagogy classes at Tay Nguyen University to study effective teaching methods and design her own lesson plans.
Her dream is to make Ede language accessible to anyone with a desire to learn, using social media to spread both knowledge and pride.
A flame of culture in the heart of the village
Amid the traditional stilt houses of Ako Dhong, surrounded by modern city life, lives a young woman who devotes her days to preserving the soul of her people.
Like a flame in the night, H’Zu Ni Nie has been honored as a shining example of youth living beautifully, a role model of integrity, trust, and entrepreneurship among ethnic minority communities in the mountains of Vietnam in 2025.
Vietnamnet.vn
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