SÓC TRĂNG — Ethnic Khmer people living in the South will participate in a cultural and sport festival next month.

Scheduled to take place from November 6 to 8 in the city of Sóc Trăng in the Mekong Delta, the event will focus on the theme “Preserving and Promoting the Cultural Identity of Khmer Ethnics in the South – Equality, Solidarity, Integration and Development”.

One of the three largest annual festivals of the Khmer people, the Ok Om Bok, will also be celebrated. — Photo thanhtra.com.vn

One of the three largest annual festivals of the Khmer people, the Ok Om Bok, will also be celebrated during this occasion. Khmer folk artisans, artists, amateur athletes, and people from 12 cities and provinces in the Southern region, including Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, Vĩnh Long, Trà Vinh, An Giang, Kiên Giang, Hậu Giang, Cà Mau, Tây Ninh, Bình Phước, Cần Thơ City, and HCM City, will participate in the festival.

The three-day event will feature a line-up of interesting activities such as sport games competitions, folk dance and music performances, and a presentation of Khmer gastronomy. A demonstration of Khmer traditional festivals and rituals will also presented.

A traditional long-boat race will also be included in the festival agenda.

Every year, the Khmer ghe ngo (long boat) race has attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

According to the director of Sóc Trăng Province’s Culture, Sports and Tourism, Trần Minh Lý, preparations for the Festival of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khmer Ethnics in the South are almost complete.

“So far, 56 long boats of 45 men's and 11 women's teams from seven provinces will compete at the race. Sóc Trăng is the province with the highest number of teams at 40, followed by Bạc Liêu with nine teams,” he said.

In previous years, the boat race has attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators.

“This year, the boat race is among the activities of the Khmer Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival, and is expected to attract more visitors,” Lý added.

The festival aims to honour Khmer traditional values, and thus preserve and promote the cultural identity of ethnic people. The event will also help to raise awareness of promoting Vietnamese culture and people in general. — VNS