Mangosteen - Ma(ng Cu.tTWith Pleiku as provincial capital, Gia Lai is fertile because it is made up of basaltic soil and black soil in valleys where it is very suitable for rice and cotton growing. Gia Lai is one of three provinces on the Central Highlands, 800 metres above sea level. The province is home to three ethnic minority groups of Gia Rai, Ba Na and Kinh (or Viet). According to age-old customs of the ethnic minoritity groups in Central Highlands, after the burial of the deceased, they build a small hut on top of the grave to shelter the grave from rain and sunshine. The hut is usually stocked with personal belongings of the deceased. Two or three years later, family members of the deceased will remove the hut and build a new, bigger wooden house there. The grave house is surrounded with a wooden fence within which there is a wooden statue resembling a human being, a bird or an animal. The practice of removing the makeshift hut is usually organized in the spring and is considered a festive day. The ritual is called Le Bo Mo (Grave Hut Removal Rite). In this day, villagers gather at the cemetery ground and the family members bring food offerings.
WAfter the offerings are given to the deceased, villagers are to sing songs, dance and enjoy the drink and the food taken down from the altar. They have the belief that the deceased has returned to join the feast with those alive.