Ksor Cham is a resident of Plei Pa Kdranh Village who has been named “The Final Elephant Keeper in Gia Lai” because of his steadfast determination and passion to take care of elephants despite everyone else leaving the tradition. Chu Mo Commune in La Pa District in the Central Highlands Province of Gia Lai used to be identified with breeding the said animals.

  Elephants in Ksor Cham’s region were both a livelihood necessity and a family member. They carried goods and helped their owners with work at the farm. But like family, they were given names and properly cared for.

  Ksor Cham was born into a family who bred elephants for generations. Even when some of his “allies” died and offered up for sale, he refused to give up or give in. In fact even in recent time, he remains loyal to the duty and is even passing it on to his son-in-law, not only protecting the animals in the process but preserving a long-standing culture as a whole.

      Antique Haven   Taking after his mechanic father who is collecting antique items, in particular vehicles, Tran Quang Vinh shares the same passion and even studied Mechanics to specialize in the field. He went to Vietnam after to showcase his and his father’s wide collection.

  In Hanoi, Vinh started a museum-like shop named Xe co quan (Vintage Vehicle Shop) which boasted of 30 vintage motorcycles and scooters as well as other non-vehicle antique objects.

  A 1951 Motobecane scooter is one of the most prized items in the shop which has a brake on its left side and its gearbox on the right. A 750cc BMW motorbike manufactured between 1938-1941 is another highlight of the collection. A phonograph, a Marelli fan and other important items can also be found in the store.

  Even today, Vinh continues to collect as much antiques as he can. It is a burning passion within him that he wants the whole world to see and appreciate as well.

       East Sea: Home   East Sea in Xuan Binh Hamlet, My An Commune, Phu My District is more than meets the eye. It is home to some and perhaps even more significantly, a haven of rich history and culture.

  This is where Nguyen Van Ai and his wife Nguyen Thi Lam decided to live and start a fishing business, even a family. When they first set foot in the area, it was all barren. But their hard work and perseverance made the place thrive through time, even attracting other people to settle in as well.

  Today, Nguyen Van Ai’s family stands as a great example of success. His six sons and two son-in-laws are all fishermen like him. They own four high-capacity boats which catch fish in the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands. One of the boats has a 900-horsepower feature with state-of-the-art facilities that can withstand powerful gale winds with forces as high as 9 or 10. It collects the fish from the other three boats and sells them on shore. It also has the capability to carry other necessary items for fishing.

  To expand even further, Nguyen Van Ai is planning to build a 1,000-horsepower boat. On a bigger scale, he is not only growing his fishing business, but most importantly, preserving a long-held tradition and culture which started the community in the first place.