Kinh - Khmer cultural exchange in Via Ba Festival

According to many researchers, there are many different hypotheses and explanations about the statue of Ba Chua Xu. The first hypothesis is that in 1941, a French archaeologist surveyed and concluded that the statue of Ba Chua Xu was actually a statue of Vishnu, originating from India. The statue is made of rare sandstone, has high artistic value, and was crafted around the end of the 6th century. This hypothesis suggests that the statue was created during a brilliant cultural period, when civilizations interacted and developed strongly.

In the archaeological program “Old Features”, the late writer Son Nam - a researcher of Southern culture affirmed that the statue of Ba Chua Xu is actually a male Buddha statue of the Khmer people, long forgotten on the top of Sam mountain. Later, the statue was repainted by the Vietnamese people with a new layer of paint to become a statue of Buddha. Sharing the same point of view, Mr. Tran Van Dung (author of the scientific work “Exploring Chau Doc land”) affirmed that the statue of Ba Chua Xu is actually a statue of a male god sitting in a regal posture. These hypotheses not only add to the mystery of the statue, but also reflect a part of the diverse history and culture of Chau Doc land.

Khmer ethnic minority community in Soc Trang performs at Ba Temple

According to Professor Tran Ngoc Them, the carvings and decorative patterns in the temple are the product of the cultural exchange between Vietnamese, Khmer, Cham and Chinese art. The statue of Ba is probably one of the ancient artifacts of the Oc Eo culture. These descriptions confirm that the statue's core is not Vietnamese. However, it also shows its great cultural value. At a time when the Siamese army was always looking for ways to spy on and invade the border, the establishment of a goddess to govern a land like the image of Ba Chua Xu (playing the role of a Mother Goddess) was extremely necessary, affirming territorial sovereignty by "attracting" the gods to their side of the Vietnamese community.

Author Huynh Thieu Phong (in the research article "Contribution to the establishment of the concept and identification of "cultural values" through the case study of Ba Chua Xu Temple in Sam Mountain - Chau Doc - An Giang") stated that the image of Ba Chua Xu as a Mother Goddess was created according to the continuous flow of awareness of the Vietnamese community during the migration to the new land. Before the presence of the Vietnamese community here and until today, this land simultaneously had the presence and coexistence of the Cham, Chinese, and Khmer ethnic groups. It was this coexistence that created a solid foundation for the formation of the image of Ba Chua Xu, because the belief in worshiping goddesses also exists in the spiritual culture of those ethnic communities. That is "Mother of the Land Yang Po Inư Nưgar" of the Cham people, "Thien Hau Thanh Mau" of the Chinese people, "Nuoi Nuang Khmau" of the Khmer people.

“Therefore, the reason for the creation of the image of Ba Chua Xu can be found in the following causes: The need to be protected by a local deity, and furthermore, it is the expression of carrying the consciousness from the old homeland about the Mother worship belief. The presence of Ba Chua Xu is the conviction of the sacredness that the Mothers ensure for a peaceful life in the new land of the Vietnamese community” - author Huynh Thieu Phong stated.

The harmonious cultural exchange between Kinh and Khmer in the beliefs related to Ba Chua Xu has attracted a large number of Khmer ethnic minority tourists to come and worship. Understanding this need, every year, on the main holidays of Ba Chua Xu, the Management Board of Sam Mountain Mausoleum dedicates a corner to honor Khmer culture. In the yard of the House displaying artifacts that visitors offer to Ba, in front of the main hall, the five-tone orchestra is bustling, stopping everyone's feet.

Khmer musicians in Soc Trang perform the pentatonic instrument at the Lady Temple

Thach Thi (24 years old) started performing traditional dances 7 years ago, becoming a collaborator of the Soc Trang province art troupe. “For the past two years, I have had the opportunity to follow the troupe to the Lady’s temple to perform. The whole troupe has 15-20 people, serving many performances for tourists. The most popular are the gentle hand and foot dances, suitable for small spaces. We perform 3 typical dances to worship the Lady: Romvong, Salavanh, Lam Lieu” - Thi said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Luc (living in Cho Moi district) is 71 years old, but has been dancing at the Lady Temple for the past 50 years, along with the five-tone orchestra. “I have never learned to dance, so I just perform the movements instinctively, wearing self-designed costumes. During the 2 days of dancing, from morning to night, I still felt healthy. In the past, when the road was difficult, I went by boat. Now, I go by car, finding the Lady by any means,” Ms. Luc said.

The Via Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain is a rich folk cultural activity, playing an important role in the folk life, not only for the Kinh, Hoa, Cham and Khmer people in the South, but also influencing and positively impacting the spiritual life of a part of the population across the country. The importance of the festival not only carries unique cultural values, but also serves as a solid spiritual support for local people over the years.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giao-thoa-van-hoa-kinh-khmer-trong-le-hoi-via-ba-a421223.html