Di Linh dưới góc nhìn địa văn hóa

Abstract

Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines physical geography, historical-cultural studies, and anthropology, this article examines the Di Linh area (formerly Di Linh District, Lâm Đồng Province) from a cultural-geographical perspective in order to interpret the formation and dynamics of cultural space in relation to environment and landscape. Based on the synthesis of historical and geographical materials, field surveys, and comparative analysis, the study clarifies the area’s prominent natural and ecological characteristics, as well as the long-standing settlement history and cultural traditions of the two indigenous ethnic groups, the Cơ Ho and the Mạ.

The findings show that the cultural space of Di Linh is structured by a close interrelationship among environment, landscape, settlement patterns, indigenous knowledge systems, production practices, ritual systems, and belief systems. Cultural acculturation across different historical periods - from the pre-colonial era through the colonial period to the present -has produced a multilayered cultural-geographical landscape that is both locally rooted and reflective of broader exchanges within the Central Highlands and the South Central Coast regions. Accordingly, the article also identifies values that need to be preserved and suggests a cultural-geographical approach to spatial planning for cultural and tourism development in the Di Linh area.