The dugout boat is a traditional boat for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands.
Originating from the need to move on the water, the ancient ethnic people made this special type of water transport from the trunks of hundreds of years old trees.
To make a boat, it would take from 5 to 7 skilled and experienced workers.
The first step is to go deep into the forest to find a suitable tree trunk. The tree must be tens of meters high and its trunk must be wide by several people's hold.
After the tree is cut down, it must be soaked in water until the quality of the wood meets the requirement.
Wood should not be puffy and soft. It needs to be easy to cut when fresh, and light when dry. After the soaking period, the wood continues to be dried. Woods that are not bent or warped will be made into boats.
When making a dugout boat, the bottom part is the most important for it will decide the safety of the boat when operating on the water. The bottom of the boat is often hewn and flattened with a reasonable thickness to create a good balance for the boat when moving, making it more convenient to use.
Over time, the number of dugout boats in the villages of the Central Highlands gradually decreased, partly due to damage during use and the appearance of bridges and spacious paved roads in the region. Therefore, the dugout boat seems to have completed its historical task and gradually disappears on the banks of rivers and streams in the Central Highlands.
Although no longer a means of transportation on rivers, dugout boat is still a unique cultural feature of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands./.
