Drai Yong Waterfall is 22 km northwest of Buon Ma Thuot city center, located in two communes: Ea M'nang, Cu Mgar district and Cuôr Knia, Buon Don district. In Ede language: Drai means waterfall, Yong means thunderstorm (also means strong pouring water). Drai Yong means "thumping storm" or "strongly falling waterfall". In addition, this waterfall is also called Ea M'nang waterfall, this is the name of the Kinh people living in the area because the waterfall is located on the territory of Ea M'nang commune.
According to the village elder of Pok village, Ea M'nang commune, Ču M'gar district: Many farming seasons have passed and no one remembers. At that time, there lived a rich, greedy and independent chief in that village. evil named M'Tao M'Xi. Trade him long and wide, the elephant travels seven days to the end, servants in the house, people in and out are busy, shoulder to shoulder, chest to chest. His buffaloes, cows, chickens, pigs, elephants, and horses are numerous, filling the hills. Ivory tusks, rhinoceros horns, pearls and ivory treasures to fill the east and west. So rich, but his greed is bottomless. Every year, he forced villagers near and far to each family to hand over three buffaloes, three cows and precious animals caught in the forest. If anyone did not pay enough, he burned the house and chased it into the forest; That's why everyone in the trade hates him. One day, he heard rumors that in the southern forest suddenly there were about a dozen or so elm trees with a height of more than 100m, a large stump that could not be hugged by dozens of people, if anyone could cut those trees down to make a blow to the temple. If he has a long house, he will be extremely rich because Bang Lang is the lord of the trees in the forest. Knowing that news, the next day M'Tao M'Xi immediately sent 100 young men into the forest to find and cut trees with mausoleums. The group crossed the stream and crossed the forest, going through all seven full moons and seven waning moons, but still could not cut these trees because the axes, beams that almost touched the tree trunks bounced back. The group was very afraid that these were Yang's trees, so they had to return to the village. The chief was disappointed, angry, he let his servants burn the boys' houses and chase them with their wives and children into the forest. He sent another 100 boys, but they couldn't cut them. Those boys were also burned by the chief, and chased into the forest. Another 100 boys were sent to the forest to cut trees, but then they had the same fate as the previous boys.
Despite repeated defeats, M'Tao was still determined to cut down those mausoleum trees to make a blow for the unprecedented long house (because the largest long house of the chiefs At that time, it was only up to 100m long and was grafted from the trunks of 10-20m high). He gathered all his children, relatives near and far into a group of people going into the forest under his command. M'Tao M'Xi and his group found about a dozen of these strange mausoleum trees, strangely when M'Tao took the gauze up to cut the tree, the gauze beam did not bounce back, he and his relatives had to replace it. each other cut down the tree stump 14 times full moon, 14 times waning moon and 14 more times full moon, 14 more crescent moons to carve into a storm of the long house. After finishing, all the people together carried that thunderbolt to go home. However, when everyone was just leaning on their shoulders to carry the thunderbolt, suddenly there was thunder and lightning, the wind was gusting, the rain was pouring down like a waterfall, the water was rushing, and suddenly the place where the group of people stood on the ground sank. and a huge column of water sprayed up and swept up M'Tao M'Xi and all his descendants, brothers, relatives and nearly a dozen thunderbolts flying high into the sky. After the rain stopped, the wind calmed down, and the forest scene returned to normal, the giant water column turned into a waterfall, churning white foam day and night to clear the mountains and forests. The sound of the waterfall rumbling was as pleasant to the ears as Yang's laughter because he was able to eliminate the evil chief and his greedy siblings and relatives. The villagers of M'Tao M'Xay held a festival to celebrate, the families of all the boys who had previously been burned by M'Tao and chased into the forest had returned to live in the old village. Everyone danced and sang around the warm cup of wine.
To remember the merits of Yang and the mountains for killing the wicked, the villagers called the waterfall that buried M'Tao Drai Yong (Don Dong Waterfall) and the name Drai Yong has existed since then. now.
In addition, there is another version related to Drai Yong waterfall: In the past, when the Ede people first came to set up shop in this land, nature did not favor humans. The whole large area did not have a single river flowing through, life was messy and hard. In the middle of the sacred forest, people are constantly sick and sick, and drinking water has not been found. The village elder then called on everyone to gather together to create solidarity against wild animals and natural disasters, in which finding a source of drinking water was a top priority.
At the call of the village elder, the next morning the villagers went out together to find a new source of water. They went forever, forever along the dry stream, for seven days and seven nights, but could not find water. Too disappointed, the group had to rest near a cave next to a dry stream, where they held a ceremony to worship the gods to ask for rain to help the villagers in their famine, but they waited forever. day after day without seeing the change of heaven and earth. The group had to leave in inconsolable disappointment.
That night, when the village was still asleep, suddenly there was a sound from somewhere in the mountains and forests, a cry like the wind that wanted to knock down the branches of the ancient kenya tree, it sounded like the sound of wild animals. , old people, children panic, birds fly in the night. The village elder immediately called a group of young people and some experienced people to find the source of that cry to know the truth. Following the call, they discovered that the sound was made by jik yong (frogs), lying on the rocks next to the cave where the group had made offerings to the gods of the previous days. From where the jik yong lie, a clear, cool stream of water begins to flow on the shallow stream, and with the growing sound, the water also grows larger. The villagers saw it with great joy, they thought that these jik yong were sent by the gods to assist the villagers in helping the villagers find a source of water for life.
The next morning, the village elder summoned people in the village to thank the gods for sending jik yong to help, the village elder discussed with everyone to find a white male buffalo to make an offering to the gods. The worshiping ceremony is held on the same day at the cave upstream of the dry stream.
When the shaman finished his vows, more and more water flowed out from the rock where the jik yong lay, gradually overflowing over the rocks and pouring down the mouth of the cave, creating a cascade of white foam day and night, the sound of the waterfall. rumbling, fun, as if in harmony with the hearts of the villagers, young and old, girls and boys in the village. They cheered, rejoiced, and celebrated continuously to thank the gods for understanding their supplications.
Since then, the waterfall was named yong waterfall (also known as jik yong). To remember the gratitude of the frogs who gave the village a source of water that year and the name Drai Yong has existed since then to this day.
Drai Yong Waterfall is a beautiful waterfall located in the middle source of Ea Tul stream - a stream originating from Kǒu Kpo stream, Krong Buk district. Ea Tul stream flows from East to West, finally empties into the legendary river Serepok. On its flow, this stream creates three beautiful waterfalls: Drai Kroa, Drai Yong and Drai Mpǐ waterfalls. In this waterfall system, Drai Yong is the most poetic and majestic waterfall.
Upstream of Drai Yong is a stream nearly 100m wide, the northern bank is interwoven with bamboo bushes and pine trees and regenerated forests are planted by the local government to restore the landscape and create an environment for the local people. relics. The southern bank is smooth green grass and lush cornfields, herds of buffalo are grazing on young grass. The drifting water mixed with the shepherd's flute resounded in the space creating a peaceful and peaceful scene. When only about 10m away from the waterfall, the water from the upstream suddenly rushed back, suddenly the fault fell into a deep valley to create the Drai Yong waterfall.
Where the waterfall has a width of about 80m and a height of about 12m, the rushing water creates sounds that echo the whole area. Water vapor, water spray from the waterfall flies white, foggy like a mist and keeps hovering in the air, when the sun shines through this vapor curtain it becomes a prism that diffuses light creating beautiful clouds. the magically brilliant rainbow strip in the morning sun.
With a poetic, spacious natural landscape, fresh and cool air, Drai Yong waterfall is an ideal place for tourism development, has a great attraction for those who are passionate about outdoor activities. Heaven, want to find nature to dispel stress and fatigue after hard working days in noisy, bustling and dusty cities.
On March 9, 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 823/QD-BVHTTDL ranking Drai Yong waterfall as a national scenic spot.
Some pictures of the Monument:
