Kate Festival - Where people and tourists find Cham cultural heritage

On the morning of October 21, at the Po Sah Inư Tower Relic Site (Phu Thuy Ward, Lam Dong Province), the Kate Festival 2025 officially opened in a bustling atmosphere imbued with the cultural colors of the Cham people.

Kate Festival atmosphere after the opening ceremony

Attending the ceremony were comrades: Pham Thi Phuc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong province; Ha Thi Hanh, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong province; Nguyen Thi Thuan Bich, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; Dinh Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and leaders of departments, branches and localities.

Lam Dong provincial leaders attend the opening ceremony of the Kate Festival

The festival attracts a large number of Cham people following Brahmanism from 9 communes in the province, along with many domestic and foreign tourists.

This year's Kate Festival of the Cham people is one of the activities to celebrate the success of the Lam Dong Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term.

Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Tuan spoke at the opening ceremony

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Dinh Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, emphasized: The restoration and maintenance of the Kate Festival from 2005 to present not only meets the spiritual needs of the Cham people but also contributes to preserving the values ​​of folk culture and religion, becoming the "soul" of spiritual life.

From there, contributing to making the economic and social life of the Cham people increasingly prosperous, in harmony with the general development of the country.

“

Our Party and State always believe in the joint efforts, solidarity and solidarity of the Cham people in the work of preserving, maintaining and promoting heritage values ​​imbued with national cultural nuances; together with the culture, sports and tourism sectors, join hands to build an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, so that culture truly becomes an endogenous strength, a driving force for national development and protection of the Fatherland.

Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Tuan

Comrade Pham Thi Phuc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong province (right cover) and Comrade Nguyen Thi Thuan Bich, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council (left cover) presented flowers and gifts to dignitaries on the occasion of the Kate Festival.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested localities with Cham people to continue supporting and investing in preserving and maintaining the traditional ceremony intact; at the same time, expanding the festival to suit the conditions and cultural identity of the locality.

Costume procession

After the opening ceremony, there will be a ceremony to bring the goddess Po Sah Inư's costume to the main tower. Here, many rituals will begin to open the tower, bathe the Linga - Yoni altar, put on costumes and the Great Ceremony to thank the goddess Po Sah Inư and the gods at tower A.

Cham people attend the opening ceremony

The Kate Festival is one of two heritages listed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage. According to the Organizing Committee, this year's Kate Festival attracted about 3,000 people and tourists.

Prayer ceremony

This is an occasion for the Cham community to express gratitude to the gods, grandparents and ancestors, pray for favorable weather and bountiful crops; at the same time, strengthen solidarity, honor cultural values, ethics and personality.

Dressing Ceremony

Kate Festival is a national intangible cultural heritage, demonstrating the sustainable vitality of Cham culture in the midst of modernity, contributing to embellishing the diverse cultural identity of Lam Dong province.

Cham dignitaries and people performed a dance ritual to invite the gods at the main tower of Po Sah Inư on the evening of October 20.

At night at the foot of the tower, people perform a dance ritual to celebrate and thank the gods.

The procession of costumes to the main tower of Po Sah Inư

Po Sah Inư main tower

Guitarists

Fan dance, one of the traditional dances typical of the Cham community

People and tourists watch the Kate festival

International tourists participate in the Festival

Young women participate in the procession of costumes

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/le-hoi-kate-noi-nguoi-dan-va-du-khach-tim-ve-di-san-van-hoa-cham-396159.html