Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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A change of pace in Buon Don

A bamboo bridge spans the Serepok River in Buon Don Town

On summer holidays, after a trip to the sea, you can travel to the highlands to discover nature and breathe the air of the forests. Buon Don Town in Buon Ma Thuot City in the highlands province of Daklak is a nice country retreat.

From HCMC, take National Road No. 14 about 500km to Binh Phuoc and Daklak Province. If you are coming from Nha Trang it’s 207 kilometers.

Tourists take an elephant ride around Buon Don Tourist Area - Photos: Mai Ly

Located nearly 50 kilometers northwest from Buon Ma Thuot City, Buon Don is home to the M’Nong, J’rai, Ede, Lao and Thai ethnic minority groups and for the last two centuries has been the center of all elephant hunting and taming in Vietnam.

Buon Don is a Lao name, meaning “island village” as it is near many islets in the swift flowing Serepok River.

About 15 kilometers from Buon Don is Ban Don Village and Bay Nhanh Waterfall. From the bamboo bridge you can see the waterfall and the stilt houses of the local tribe people.

Four kilometers from Ban Don is Buon Don Tourist Area. For about VND80,000 for three people, you can ride an elephant around for about fifteen minutes. If you have time and feel adventurous, you can hire an elephant to cross the Serepok River. Then walk across the100 meter long Buon Don Bamboo Bridge under the shade of banyan trees. It is veiled by vines and roots. The swinging bridge is not for the feint hearted.

Beyond the bridge is a swimming hole called Ea No oasis with many orchids. Beside the oasis, restaurants and hotels are tucked among the trees, one of which has a tree house in it with great views.

Next stop is an old stilt house built 120 years ago in Lao style with displays of utensils used by ethnic people and old weapons to hunt elephants. There are many stories about Buon Don’s history and customs of hunting and taming elephants. In March, tourists can join an elephant race festival.

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