Preserving Khmer and Cham culture

The diverse cultures of the Khmer and Cham people

Following the merger, An Giang province has the largest area and population in the Mekong Delta region, with many ethnic groups living together. Each ethnic group possesses rich customs, traditions, festivals, handicrafts, folk performing arts, cuisine , costumes, and folk knowledge, contributing to a vibrant and diverse cultural landscape. This also represents significant potential for local tourism development.

After the Kinh people, the Khmer and Cham people constitute a relatively large population. Stemming from their distinctive cultures, the province has developed many unique tangible and intangible cultural heritages such as: the Bay Nui bull racing festival, the knowledge and techniques of writing on palm leaves of the Khmer people, the Di Ke performance art (O Lam commune), the life cycle rituals of the Cham Muslims, the brocade weaving craft of the Cham people (Chau Phong commune), and the palm sugar making craft of the Khmer people. In addition, there are also tangible cultural relics classified as national monuments such as: the Mubarak Mosque (Chau Phong commune), Xvayton Pagoda (Tri Ton commune), Soc Xoai Pagoda (My Thuan commune), the Four Lions Tower (Binh An commune), along with provincial-level relics such as Snaydonkum Pagoda and Svay Ta Nap Pagoda (O Lam commune)...

The diverse cultural features of the Khmer and Cham people have contributed to making An Giang a unique destination in the eyes of both domestic and international visitors. Mr. Le Thien Binh, residing in Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “We work in the tourism industry and have traveled to many places throughout the country, but the festivals of the Khmer people in An Giang have impressed us greatly, especially the Bay Nui bull racing festival – a unique event unlike anywhere else.”

After being delighted by a visit to the Cham ethnic group's brocade weaving craft in An Giang , Mads, a tourist from Denmark, said: "I took many beautiful pictures of the weavers and will bring these images back to show my friends and relatives so they can see the skillful hands of the Cham artisans."

Multiple conservation solutions

In the digital age, living conditions and the impact of integration pose many challenges to the preservation of the Khmer and Cham cultures. However, this also presents an opportunity to strongly promote and disseminate cultural values through digital platforms. Over the past period, An Giang province has developed appropriate projects, plans, and solutions to preserve and promote the cultural values of ethnic minorities in modern life.

Every year, cultural, sports, and tourism festivals celebrating the unique traditional cultural identities of the Cham and Khmer people are maintained and solemnly organized. This fosters pride and educates the younger generation of Khmer and Cham people about their responsibility in preserving and promoting the traditional values of their ethnic groups. In addition, cultural dissemination activities are also intensified through social media and online platforms.

Efforts to preserve and promote cultural values are not only reflected in the province's policies and plans but also stem from the dedication of the Khmer and Cham communities themselves. Mr. Haji Abul Alim, Director of An Giang Cham Village Trade and Tourism Company Limited, stated: “We are building tourist attractions to showcase the unique traditions of the Cham people. When tourists come to the Cham village, they can experience our long-standing customs and practices, and through this, we also have the opportunity to spread our ethnic culture more widely.”

To raise public awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, the Department of Culture and Sports has conducted an inventory, collection, and documentation of typical cultural heritages of the Khmer and Cham people. The collection and inventory focus on preserving the basic, core content that reflects their distinctive identity, while also perfecting the information recording forms for various types of heritage to facilitate digitization and storage, ensuring quick and accurate retrieval.

The Khmer ethnic group's cultural, sports, and tourism festival – a place to connect the community and promote cultural values. Photo: MY LINH

The cultural sector and local authorities also focus on transmitting intangible cultural heritage such as: language, writing, folk performing arts, social customs, traditional crafts, and folk knowledge to the younger generation of Khmer and Cham people and those working in preservation. In addition, traditional festivals such as Sel Dolta, Ok Om Bok, Roya Haji, Ramadan... are held annually, along with the reenactment of the Dì kê art and life cycle rituals of the Cham Muslim people.

In particular, the province has developed a project to preserve and promote the value of the national intangible cultural heritage of "Knowledge and techniques of writing on palm leaves of the Khmer people in An Giang province" until 2030. The project aims to inventory and classify palm leaf scriptures; preserve and restore damaged scriptures; provide guidance on preservation to temples currently holding them; and document and digitize this heritage. In addition, there are plans to create variant versions to serve heritage education and tourism development; and to translate representative scriptures for research, dissemination, and wider introduction.

Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Khmer and Cham people not only contributes to maintaining their ethnic identity but also opens up opportunities for tourism development and promotes cultural exchange. This needs continued attention, long-term investment, and widespread dissemination within the community.

MY LINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bao-ton-van-hoa-khmer-cham-a425841.html