The traditional betel and areca chewing culture is at the heart of anexhibition which was launched in the central province of NinhThuan on October 21.
Intricate and artistic betel chewingkits are on display, as well as uniquely shaped lime pots made ofdifferent materials.
According to Deputy Director of theSouthern Women’s Museum Nguyen Hien Linh, the traditional habit ofchewing betel dates back to the reign of the Hung Kings when betel andareca became a symbol for love, fraternal feelings and social relations.
The tradition comes from an old folk tale about two brothers.One gets married and neglects his younger brother, who runs away fromhome, eventually dies of sadness and transforms into a lime stone. Hisolder brother goes searching for him, dies of despair beside the stone,and turns into an areca tree. His wife in turn goes looking for him, anddies beside the stone and the tree, becoming a betel plant and climbingaround the tree.
Legend has it that the ruler at thetime, King Hung, discovered a temple built by local residents for thethree deceased, where he first heard about the story. He ordered his mento grind a leaf of betel, an areca nut and a piece of lime stone. Theresult was a juice as red as human blood, which the king tasted andgreatly enjoyed. He recommended that betel be chewed with an areca nutand lime in every marital ceremony.
Today, betel andareca are still a part of traditional ceremonies and play an importantrole in Vietnamese people’s lives. However, the habit itself iscurrently in decline.
The exhibition aims to showcase thedaily life of Vietnamese women, encourage the preservation of thetraditional custom and protect the nation’s cultural values.
The exhibition is jointly organised by the Southern Women’s Museum andthe Provincial Research Centre on Cham Culture, and will run untilNovember 30.-VNA
Intricate and artistic betel chewingkits are on display, as well as uniquely shaped lime pots made ofdifferent materials.
According to Deputy Director of theSouthern Women’s Museum Nguyen Hien Linh, the traditional habit ofchewing betel dates back to the reign of the Hung Kings when betel andareca became a symbol for love, fraternal feelings and social relations.
The tradition comes from an old folk tale about two brothers.One gets married and neglects his younger brother, who runs away fromhome, eventually dies of sadness and transforms into a lime stone. Hisolder brother goes searching for him, dies of despair beside the stone,and turns into an areca tree. His wife in turn goes looking for him, anddies beside the stone and the tree, becoming a betel plant and climbingaround the tree.
Legend has it that the ruler at thetime, King Hung, discovered a temple built by local residents for thethree deceased, where he first heard about the story. He ordered his mento grind a leaf of betel, an areca nut and a piece of lime stone. Theresult was a juice as red as human blood, which the king tasted andgreatly enjoyed. He recommended that betel be chewed with an areca nutand lime in every marital ceremony.
Today, betel andareca are still a part of traditional ceremonies and play an importantrole in Vietnamese people’s lives. However, the habit itself iscurrently in decline.
The exhibition aims to showcase thedaily life of Vietnamese women, encourage the preservation of thetraditional custom and protect the nation’s cultural values.
The exhibition is jointly organised by the Southern Women’s Museum andthe Provincial Research Centre on Cham Culture, and will run untilNovember 30.-VNA
