Many seasons of grass are burning and then turning green, many generations of people passing by and quietly getting old, Muong Luan tower (Muong Luan 1 village, Muong Luan commune, Dien Bien province) is still standing tall, like a giant sand watch measuring time with each layer of moss.
And then one day, after the restoration, people found the tower as... young again. The lines submerged in the dust of time are washed away, the patches of patterns are forgotten and awakened. The entrance is clean, the newly built reception house blends in with the landscape. In the golden sunlight of the border area, the tower appeared both ancient and radiant.
Standing in the sky of Muong Luan
Muong Luan Tower is from the 16th century. Standing at the foot of the tower, looking up, people feel like they are watching a giant pen pen spreading out to the blue sky with a thin drawing. policy but proud, elegant but full of inner strength.
The tower's foot is square, the tower body is gradually collapsing, the tower top is like an arrow pointing straight towards Vietnam. As for the back, it rests on Laos, like a beautiful metaphor for cultural harmony between the two countries for centuries.
The patterns on the new tower body are truly the soul of the project. These are small dragon pairs flying, soft lotus petals as if they had just bloomed, the sun shape with a small mirror attached to them to reflect the light from all sides. All are made of terracotta mixed with red, brown, and gray. The hands of the highland craftsmen use bricks, lime, sand, sugarcane, simple materials that have created a solid masterpiece over hundreds of years.
Looking at Muong Luan tower, the art and architecture, beliefs and spirituality of the ancient Lao community are clearly visible. Perhaps that is why in 1991, the tower was ranked as a National Architectural and Artistic Relic by the Ministry of Culture - Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
hidden stories under the foundation of the ancient pagoda
Taking us along the remaining land next to the tower, Chief of Office of the People's Council - People's Committee of Muong Luan Commune, Mr. Lo Van Khanh, said that many elderly people in Muong Luan, before, next to the tower, there was a three-lam penalty pagoda, 6m wide, 12m long, which was the center of religious activities of the Lao community in Muong Luan area.
The pagoda now has only the foundation, but the memories of the old festival are still intact in the hearts of the elderly in Muong Luan. Herbal scent mixed in the mountain wind. The sound of the e towards the roof of a small pagoda, flowing along the Ma River, makes anyone who witnesses feel relieved.
That festival is not only a spiritual ceremony, but an opportunity for the whole community to gather. The house prepares fragrant water, the house prepares offerings. Young people repair cars, children run tons with groups of adults. During those times, Muong Luan tower seemed to transform into the heart of the village, bustlingly beating the sound of drums, flute, and xoops, pushing sticks, dropping water... keeping Muong Luan people a intact memory of the time when "The Muong village has never been without laughter".
In April 2025, Muong Luan witnessed an unprecedented moment in the past 50 years: Bun Huot Nam Festival - the traditional Tet of the Lao people was restored. On the morning of the festival, the Buddha statue was carried down to the Ma River for the bathing ceremony. The sparkling, cool river water touches the depths of the heart. People here say: "This year, we will be relieved of all worries and sufferings, and let the new crop be peaceful".
Then came the festival, as brilliant as a vivid painting: The melody of the five winds was as soft as water, the sentences
Lao singing is dead, the song of tung co, earrings, snake catching tiles, turtles crawling eggs... The laughter and cheering blend in with the sound of the waves.
The handcuffs are given away as wishes for peace as a gift of affection from the entire Laos village. Hundreds of people, both locals and tourists, immersed themselves in the legendary waterfall. Every bucket of water is a function of entertainment. That is a request for happiness, luck, and fullness.
The dream of traveling in a land
After the ancient tower was restored, along with the revival of the Bun Huot Nam festival, Muong Luan has in hand a valuable set of "four pillars" to develop cultural - spiritual - historical tourism. In addition, Muong Luan also has festivals of the Xinh Mun and Lao people.
There are unique local dishes, brocade weaving, hills, mineral streams, Pa Vat hot springs, hydroelectric lakes... that tourism businesses are starting to survey. In particular, the Linh Phuoc Tu construction project expected to be completed will create a new highlight.
Muong Luan Commune Party Committee sets a target of Muong Luan becoming an eastern tourist destination of Dien Bien province by 2030. Not only exploiting natural landscapes, relics, and culture, but also protecting the environment and improving livelihoods for people.
Now, when standing in front of the restored gate of the ancient tower, people are looking as if Muong Luan tower has " awakened" after a long sleep of centuries. The tower is still quiet and ancient, but it seems to have had another light: The light of cultural revival.
And in the sound of the Ma River still flowing tirelessly, Muong Luan tower continues its journey. It is both a witness to history and a bridge that brings Muong Luan closer to tourists from near and far.
