Infographic Objects that tell life stories

In a small house in the heart of the mountainous town of Pleiku, Mr. Nguyen The Phiet is preserving hundreds of precious bamboo and rattan artifacts. Without the need for gold or gold, old bamboo objects still have their own beauty, durable and timeless.

Mr. Nguyen The Phiet in the corner of his bamboo collection - where he preserves memories of the old Central Highlands life. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

The items that used to follow people to the fields, back to the village, carrying rice, storing rice, keeping seeds... all have turned a warm yellow color, but still exude the beauty of time.

Each item tells a story about the lifeblood that connects people with the mountains and forests. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

Display corner of woven bamboo baskets in various shapes for daily use. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

What Mr. Phiet treasures most is his collection of baskets with dozens of types of ethnic groups: Bahnar, Jrai, Xe Dang, Kdong, Gie Trieng, Mnong,...

Each ethnic group has its own unique types of baskets. Each type of basket has different functions such as: carrying firewood, food, rice, dowry... There are baskets for men, and baskets for girls when they get married.

A Mnong basket that was bitten by rats was collected by Phiet because of the "color of time" on the basket's body, proving its value of use and the diligence of ancient hands. Next to it is a Bahnar basket that he collected in the mountains of Kon Tum . **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

Klec (men's basket) of the Gie Trieng ethnic group. Men's baskets are usually flat, meticulously woven - an indispensable item for men when going into the forest. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

Each ethnic group has a different style of men's backpack, but it usually has 3 compartments to hold arrows, the knife is small and fits close to the back to make it easier to move through the forest. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

A German tourist once offered thousands of dollars for a male backpack of the Xe Dang ethnic group, but Phiet did not sell it because it was an artifact that could not be collected again. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

In addition to his collection of baskets of the Central Highlands ethnic groups, Phiet also has a love for woven items in general. These objects still quietly tell the story of the harmonious, moderate and contented lifestyle of the Central Highlands people in particular and of ethnic minorities before being affected by industrialization.

Set of 3 rice baskets of the Cham people. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

A basket containing dowry for a daughter getting married of the Cao Lan ethnic group in the same northern mountains. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

Termite catching tools of the Mnong ethnic group. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

The Chapi instrument and the typical basket of the Raglei people ( Ninh Thuan region). **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

A meal of the Gie Trieng people. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

The “gong shirt” set is worth tens of millions of dong, made from bamboo and several meters long rattan fibers. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

The collection is like a piece of memory, quietly telling stories about people's lives. **Photo: Hoang Ngoc**

Collecting and preserving rustic woven objects is not just a hobby, but a way to quietly preserve culture. Thanks to that, stories about the natural way of life and the wisdom of indigenous peoples still resonate - a reminder of the lasting values that have been forged over time.