The Mekong Delta has many Khmer pagodas with unique and colorful architecture. This is also a place that preserves the traditional cultural features of the Khmer people.
In recent years, provinces with a large Khmer population in the Mekong Delta have combined cultural tourism to unleash the potential for tourism development in ethnic minority areas, including promoting the cultural identity and values of Khmer pagodas to attract tourists.
For example, at Xiem Can Pagoda (Vinh Trach Dong Commune, Bac Lieu City, Bac Lieu Province), a performing arts team has recently been established to preserve the inherent cultural values of the Khmer people, while serving local people and tourists from near and far who come to visit the pagoda. Venerable Duong Quan, Abbot of Xiem Can Pagoda, said: “For the Khmer people, the pagoda has a very important meaning and position. The whole life of a Khmer person from birth to death, all joys, sorrows, happiness, suffering, success and failure are closely associated with the pagoda. Since Xiem Can Pagoda established a performing arts team, more and more local people and tourists have come to the pagoda. The cultural activities of the people have been preserved, showing their strong vitality through each dance and song.”
Tourists enjoy Apsara dances performed by the Khmer art troupe at Xiem Can Pagoda. |
Currently, in the Mekong Delta, many pagodas promote activities to serve tourists to visit, experience, explore, see and listen to the sounds of the Khmer people's pentatonic musical set. This is considered a new feature, initially creating an attractive tourism product. Venerable Kim Manh, Abbot of Kompong Dung Pagoda (Hieu Tu Commune, Tieu Can District, Tra Vinh Province) said: "Recently, Kompong Dung Pagoda has received attention from the tourism industry, chosen as a tourist attraction of the province. Determining that, the pagoda also promotes traditional cultural and artistic activities of the Khmer people, thereby attracting more tourists from other places to visit the pagoda. Coming here, people have the opportunity to exchange and learn from each other's experiences, thereby helping to preserve and promote the cultural features of the Khmer people".
Nowadays, the speed of tourism development has made the tastes of tourists increasingly diverse. Therefore, in order to introduce the cultural features of the Khmer people to the majority of people, the authorities and localities should consider training and developing the force of tour guides at Khmer pagodas. In addition, it is necessary to prioritize training tour guides who understand the cultural identity of Khmer pagodas to briefly introduce to tourists the history of formation, names, materials of ethnic musical instruments, Khmer dances... to create more attraction for tourists. In addition, it is necessary to increase the introduction of specialties of phum, soc and souvenirs into the development of Khmer cultural tourism.
Article and photos: HUU LOI
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