With the youthful enthusiasm for discovery, I set foot on the land of Burundi. If anyone asks what is needed to go to the smallest and poorest place in Africa? For me, the first thing I should have is courage. Living in Burundi gives me the opportunity to get close to this unique African culture, and at the same time gives me an insight into the daily life of the local people here. I don't know since when, Burundi in my eyes is a sparkling sky full of memories...
Burundi is small but rich in traditional culture.
The huge cultural differences might make you shy away from the idea of going to Africa. But the amazing experiences of this wild land will reward your courage. Africa will become a symbol of a peaceful and peaceful land when you imagine it through Burundi, a country full of smiles.
I have a habit of learning about the history of a country when I visit it, and Burundi is no exception. Before the 15th century, Burundi was united with Rwanda and Uganda. From the end of the 19th century to 1962, Burundi was under the rule of Germany and Belgium. Today, it is called the Republic of Burundi with a population of about 11 million people on an area of 27,834 km2. After nearly a hundred years of being ruled by European countries, Burundians use French in administrative documents. The local language Kirundi is still used in daily communication.
Because Burundi has a very clear ethnic distinction, when I came here, I easily realized that they have three main ethnic groups: Tutsi, Hutu and Twa. Their main jobs are agriculture, farming and livestock. Some groups maintain traditional occupations such as handicrafts, weaving, and jewelry making. Also an African country, but Burundi has almost no wild animals due to soil erosion of forests and hills. Burundi's rich culture is mainly based on local customs and influenced by neighboring countries. Throughout Burundi, people tacitly acknowledge that the culture of the capital Bujumbura, Gitega and Ngozi provinces are the main variations representing the whole country. Due to the very low literacy rate, storytelling, fables, and oral poetry are highly encouraged. In addition, the main cultural forms that Burundians are trying to preserve are drum dance and handicrafts.
Royal Drum Dance Performance Art
In Burundi, there are no schools for arts and culture, and cultural preservation is carried out through the generations. I had the opportunity to visit the ancient house of Baranshakaje, a royal drummer for the last king of Burundi. Standing in a mushroom-shaped thatched hut on Gishora Hill, the guide explained to me about this wooden drum instrument that the Burundians are very proud of. As a member of the modern young generation, I was immersed in another space of a world that I was very unfamiliar with. Everything became even more fascinating because I am a lover of history and culture. I imagined the ancient splendor of Burundian kings in colorful processions accompanied by the resounding sound of drums. After visiting the traditional drum museum of Burundi, I had a deep insight into the culture of this country, as well as of the whole land of drum dancing as an artistic tradition like East Africa.
In 2014, UNESCO recognized Burundi drum dance as a World Cultural Heritage. Mr. Baranshakaje is honored by the Burundians as an artisan who has contributed to the transmission and preservation of the royal drum dance culture. On Gishora Hill, I also saw with my own eyes the D'umuvugangoma tree - also known as Cordia Africana, which means "drum making tree". The people here highly value this tree because it is a precious wood, and only it can create good sounds for drum performances. The D'umuvugangoma tree lives in the deep forest, and produces a special beautiful and resonant sound. Any drum made from this tree can be preserved for more than a hundred years. I excitedly stood next to a local friend to hear how people cut down the tree and make drums. It is said that large pythons like to live in the canopy of this tree. Therefore, if one wants to cut down a D'umuvugangoma tree to make a drum, one must spray a special herbal oil compound to repel the python before cutting down the tree trunk. Having gone through so many difficult steps to make a drum, the people here appreciate more and more in preserving this traditional cultural beauty.
In Burundi, drum dancing adds solemnity to royal ceremonies, coronations, or occasions to welcome heads of state, weddings, and events. Depending on the scale and conditions, the group of dancers will be large or small. The drum dance begins when a group of people carrying decorative spears and shields lead the procession, gathering in the area where the performance is to take place, singing and dancing traditional tunes. Then the main group of dancers forms a semicircle, with the largest drum as the center. The drum dance brings a classic and attractive rhythm, symbolizing strength and joyful energy. Mixed with that heroic and mighty atmosphere is the mystery and attraction of the warrior dance, from the costumes to the loud shouts in sync with the resounding drum beats.
After watching the drum dance performance at an event attended by the president of this country, even though I am a foreigner, I also enjoyed the feeling of connection, joy, and national unity that the sound of this drum dance brought. Watching the drum dance, I witnessed a powerful, emotional scene, a synchronous combination of dance, poetry, traditional songs, and sounds. The drum dance troupe were young, strong men, about fifteen or more, always an odd number. I could not contain my emotions, sometimes exclaiming, sometimes being startled when I saw the dancers wearing headgear, juggling, and dancing skillfully with a wooden drum covered with cowhide weighing about 100 kg.
Looking at handicrafts is seeing Burundi's identity
I think a country’s culture is expressed through many different things, but the simplest is the souvenirs that the country makes to send to tourists. When I first came to Burundi, I often confused the images and handicrafts of Burundi in general with those of other African countries. Just like the culture of Vietnam and China when going to the West, people who do not know them think they are the same. But after living in Burundi, I realized the cultural differences of this land - the land known as the “heart of Africa” - with other African countries.
My favorite thing to do is to visit the handicraft market, I can always bring home some pretty things. Among the traditional handicrafts, the lidded baskets woven by Tutsi women are the most popular with tourists. They are made from sedge roots, fibrous plants and banana plants. The dyeing of these baskets is also quite complicated, it is a mixture of natural colors from many different plants. The baskets look very pretty, used to hold food, fruits, spices. You can also see the image of this basket in most paintings of Burundian women in their daily activities. But in this poorest country in the world, the handicraft that touched me the most is probably the Christmas nativity scene made from banana tree trunks. Here, Christmas is not an occasion to show off colorful, sparkling products produced in a sophisticated industrial style, but usually just simple nativity scenes made from banana stems and banana leaves - the most common tree in Burundi.
If you are interested in African art, the craft market on Rue Rwagasore, Bujumbura will not disappoint you. The complex has several small shops selling wooden statues, masks, warrior-style shields, wicker baskets, and sedge baskets. Several groups selling fresh flowers and ornamental plants also gather there. You can also visit the shops at the National Tourist Office, located along the “Prince’s Memorial” park, to see handicrafts.
Burundi is a small country with sparse forests and trees. Apart from birds and monkeys, wildlife has almost no large and rare animals. The capital city of this country is partly adjacent to Lake Tanganyika, in which there is only one crocodile and one hippopotamus. Since then, people often use the image of these two animals as a symbol to sculpt souvenirs, print on fabric and paint.
More information
- Trip: There are no direct flights from Vietnam to Burundi. You should take Kenya Airlines, after arriving in Nairobi, the airline will fly for about 30 minutes to Bujumbura Airport - the capital of Burundi.
- Means of transport:The most popular are private rental cars, taxis and buses. However, the vehicles here are quite old, unsafe, and crowded. A piece of advice for you is not to take the bus.
- Currency:Burundi uses the Burundian Franc (BIF), 1 USD can be exchanged for about 2,600 BIF.
- Visa: Currently, Vietnam does not have a Burundi Embassy. When arriving in Burundi, you can apply for a tourist visa at Bujumbura International Airport (this country has only one airport) for a cost of 50 USD. However, in Burundi, the situation of "requesting more" happens frequently, you just need to politely refuse.
- Weather:Burundi has a particularly good climate, the average daily temperature is around 24-26 degrees Celsius, sunny, cool, little rain all year round, the rainy season is from August to October. Even if you come to Burundi on rainy days, it is not a problem. The showers in Burundi come and go very quickly, the ground is dry, there is no mud.
- Cuisine: Burundi has a diverse and easy-to-eat cuisine at affordable prices. You can visit the restaurant of the famous Kiriri Garden Hotel with a view of the city or the famous Ubuntu restaurant with grilled lamb, grilled ribs and Hawaiian pizza. Drinks start from 5 USD, food from 15 USD.
- Skin:Burundi is a Christian country, people's thinking is quite open in Western style so you can wear whatever you want.
- Note
+ Because Burundi is a fairly small country, you can combine visiting Burundi with other East African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, and Congo.
+ Burundi does not recognize same-sex relationships. The country's harsh laws against same-sex relationships include imprisonment or death.
.jpg.jpg)
