Charnel house building for the dead, one of the most important ceremonies in a person’s life for many ethnic groups in Việt Nam’s central highland region, takes place around October after harvest. Made of wood, the houses are where locals keep the bodies of their loved ones as well as their personal effects and working tools. Upon completion, they are left outside to brace for the rain and the sun as the charnel houses are placed deep in the forest. In recent years, the region’s ethnic groups have been struggling to keep the art of making these wooden statutes alive with youngsters showing little interest in the tradition. Measures village elders and local authorities have employed to stop this decline include holding statute carving contests and charnel house tours for visitors.

Source: Viet Nam News August 19, 2017 02:03 UTC