Khmer people in Soc Trang celebrate Chol Chnam Thmay
Khmer people in the south and the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang in particular are celebrating their traditional New Year festival Chol Chnam Thmay which falls on April 13-16 this year more quietly this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Soc Trang (VNA) – Khmer people in the south and theMekong Delta province of Soc Trang in particular are celebrating theirtraditional New Year festival Chol Chnam Thmay which falls on April 13-16 thisyear more quietly this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Venerable Tran Sia at Day Ta Suos pagoda in Phu My commune where over 90percent of the population are Khmer people, said in compliance with the PrimeMinister’s Directive No.16/CT-TTg, the Directive No.03 of the Chairman of theprovincial People’s Committee and the dispatch No.27 of the provincial PatrioticClergy Solidarity Association on COVID-19 prevention and control measures, thepagoda has persuaded local followers not to gather in crowds and wear maskswhen going to the pagoda. The pagoda also prepared hand sanitisers forvisitors.
In Thanh Quoi commune, My Xuyen district where over 50 percent of thepopulation are Khmer people, local residents also celebra♋ted the festival inmore simple rituals. They do not hold 𒆙family gatherings like normal to assistwith epidemic prevention.
Soc Trang province is home to more than 400,000 Khmer people./.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent a letter to the Khmer ethnic people, congratulating them on the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) festival.
Representatives from the Party Committee, People’s Committee, People’s Council, and Fatherland Front Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long presented gifts to Khmer people on the occasion of the ethnic minority group’s Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) festival on April 13.
Khmer ethnic communities are celebrating their traditional New Year Festival – Chol Chnam Thmay – at home this year from April 13-16 instead of visiting pagodas as part of the national effort to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an effort to join hands with the people in the country to prevent and combat COVID-19 epidemic, Khmer people in the Mekong Delta, particularly in Soc Trang province are celebrating their new year festival - Chol Chnam Thmay - in a spirit of anti-epidemic, while still preserving their traditional culture and ensuring safety for the community.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
An art exchange programme between Vietnam and Cambodia was held on the evening of June 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long as part of the 2025 Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam.
Digitalisation does not mean commercialisation or oversimplification of culture. It is a way of selecting, adapting, and spreading traditional values through a modern language.
At a pagoda in Soc Trang (Photo: VNA) 
