The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has accelerated its efforts topreserve a traditional form of oral storytelling, knows as Bahnarepics, which are fading away in the locality.

For the past fewdecades, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism haslaunched studies of the Bahnar epics, which recount legends about thegroup’s heroes and great events. These poems and stories have beencollected and preserved.

One of these tales, theepic of Dam Noi, was first discovered in the 1980s in Kong Chro. Otherepics found in the region have been translated and publishedbilingually.

Currently, there are more than 20 storytellers across the province who know 70 Bahnar epic poems by heart .

On April 24, the epics received national intangible heritagerecognition. This will help promote them and facilitate furtherresearch, collection and preservation.

The province has alsoasked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to bestow the localstorytellers with ‘excellent artisan’ titles.

TheCentral Highlands region, which comprises the five provinces of Dak Lak,Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, is home to stunning mythicallandscapes and a significant population of diverse ethnic minorities andcultures./.