Mr. Nguyen Nam Giang - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism spoke at the seminar.
Preserving and promoting the heritage value of the Khmer Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) festival in Tay Ninh province in association with the development of community tourism is the goal that the tourism industry is aiming for. Recently, the Provincial Museum coordinated with the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts in Ho Chi Minh City to organize a discussion on this topic. And Khedol with the Chol Chnam Thmay festival is considered a suitable place to become a potential "satellite" for the Ba Mountain tourist destination.
Khedol - potential "satellite"
According to Master, PhD student Bui Thi Hoa (Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts in Ho Chi Minh City), Chol Chnam Thmay is the Khmer New Year festival, which means to celebrate the new year, pray for luck and happiness for the year. Chol Chnam Thmay ends the old year and welcomes the new year, which is part of the agricultural calendar activities of the Khmer people in general and the Khmer people in Tay Ninh in particular.
The Chol Chnam Thmay festival of the Khmer people in Tay Ninh (specifically through research at Khedol Pagoda) in addition to familiar rituals also has many unique rituals, bearing the mark of indigenous culture that are not seen in other places. Such as the wind head worship ceremony (Sen Pà lia), the worship ceremony at Ba Luc Day Temple (Lok Deay), the worship ceremony at Ong Ta Pagoda.
According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Giang - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, implementing Project 6 under the national target program allocated in the province, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism chose the theme "Preserving and promoting the heritage value of the Khmer Chol Chnam Thmay festival" to implement. The project was approved by the Provincial People's Committee to be implemented in 2023-2024. The Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism added that tourism is considered a key economic sector of the province, promising to develop in the coming time. And Chol Chnam Thmay will be a product that contributes to attracting more tourists to Tay Ninh.
Mr. Nguyen Thai Binh Duong - Head of Tourism Management Department - Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that currently, Ba Mountain tourist area accounts for about 98% of tourists coming to Tay Ninh, developing "satellites" around Ba Mountain to increase attraction is necessary. Managers have also identified some satellites such as agricultural tourism, the surrounding fruit gardens, Khedol Pagoda. Tay Ninh has 10 typical festivals that attract tourists, including Chol Chnam Thmay festival. However, currently, to serve tourism, Khedol still has limitations. This year, the Department will advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a resolution on tourism development policy. And in the Khedol area, homestays, exhibition houses, and stalls selling local specialties will be built.
Dance performance during Chol Chnam Thmay festival at Khedol Pagoda.
Lots to do
At the seminar, Dr. Phan An Tu - Head of the Department of Cultural Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City, an expert in Khmer culture, highly appreciated the potential of Khmer Tay Ninh culture through the Chol Chnam Thmay festival. He also agreed with the choice of Khedol and Chol Chnam Thmay festival as symbols of Khmer Tay Ninh culture in tourism development.
According to Dr. Phan Anh Tu's analysis, Khedol is located in the Ba Mountain heritage site, suitable for pilgrimage tourism. Khedol also has a pagoda for people to visit to both serve their spiritual needs and learn more about Khmer culture.
Investment plans need to pay attention to building typical features into tourism products such as: creating check-in points, typical sightseeing spots such as restoring stilt houses, community houses. However, according to him, tourism development still ensures the preservation of the landscape heritage of Khedol village such as rice fields, forests, streams, mountains, palm trees, etc. Limit the construction of high-rise buildings, factories, and enterprises that cause pollution. It is necessary to create harmony between the residential community and the Khmer cultural space.
Khedol is close to the city, so there are cultural changes, customs and practices are fading due to the influence of urban life... it needs to be restored to serve tourism, both preserving and developing the culture of the area. However, when restoring, it is necessary to consult the opinions of the ethnic community.
Mr. Tu emphasized that the most unique feature of the Khmer people is performing arts, typically dance, so this type of art needs to be invested in and trained. According to him, it is possible to build an amateur or professional team to serve tourism, there should be welcome and farewell dances and stage performances to serve tourists when necessary. The Chol Chnam Thmay Festival is a suitable choice for the trend of tourists coming to Tay Ninh for pilgrimage.
People offer offerings to pagodas during the Chol Chnam Thmay festival.
And developing community tourism needs to take the Khmer people as the main subject. The state trains human resources to have a source of service such as artisans, tour guides, and interpreters who are Khmer, which will have a certain attraction.
Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Hoa - Head of the Vietnam Traditional Craft Association in the province also agreed with the choice and development of the Chol Chnam Thmay festival into a tourism satellite. Because this festival has unique cultural features that attract tourists; folk games, vibrant arts and culture. Choosing Khedol as a place to develop community tourism is appropriate. Building a tourism model can choose the space of the pagoda to promote the rituals in the festival, cultural architecture, art, cuisine; community housing with daily activities, displaying objects.
Mr. Tran Quang Phuong - Cultural and Social Officer of Thanh Tan Commune, Tay Ninh City said that there are two typical festivals in the commune: Quan Lon Tra Vong Festival and Chol Chnam Thmay Festival. These festivals are widely promoted through social networking platforms. In recent times, the locality has paid great attention to preserving and promoting the typical cultural values in the area.
People build sand mountains during the Chol Chnam Thmay festival at Khedol Pagoda.
The locality proposed to train human resources for tourism from people in the ethnic community, restore and preserve the typical culinary cultural values of the Khmer people, and mobilize support for traditional costumes for performing arts. The locality is currently proposing to support the training of the Chhay-dam drum dance team. In the second quarter of this year, the locality will invest in building the fence and gate of Khedol Pagoda.
It can be seen that Khedol has full potential to develop into a satellite tourism product for Ba Mountain. The authorities are actively promoting investment and development. With the comments and directions at the discussion, it is hoped that in the coming time, Khedol Tourist Village will gradually take shape, becoming an attractive tourist destination for visitors to Tay Ninh.
Vi Xuan - Ngoc Dieu
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