With waterways being the common mode of transport long ago, local people in the Central Highlands started making dugout boats from tree trunks that are hundreds of years old. Carving takes 5 to 7 skilled and experienced workers. The first step is to go deep into the forest to find a suitable tree trunk. Trees should have a length of dozens of meters with a trunk that is a few people wide. Making a dugout canoe is a gigantic task requiring considerable organisation and planning. A hardwood tree must be selected that is large and straight enough to transport several people.  Over time, the number of dugout boats in villages in the Central Highlands has gradually fallen due to the appearance of bridges and paved roads to help people get around more easily. Though no longer a common means of transport along rivers, the dugout boats are still a unique cultural feature, imbued with the identity of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands./.