RICH CULTURE: Bình Thuận Province is working to expand its new project to preserve the Katê Festival of Chăm people, which is part of the province’s cultural strategy approved by the municipal People’s Committee this year. Photo courtesy of Bình Thuận Literature & Arts Association.

BÌNH THUẬN — Bình Thuận Province has launched a long-term project to preserve the Katê Festival, the largest traditional festival of Chăm ethnicity.

The project is part of the province’s cultural strategy approved by the municipal People’s Committee on October 16.

It was completed after the province achieved good results in cultural growth, and after the Katê Festival was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as an intangible cultural heritage in 2022.

The project focuses on building public spaces to show the Chăm people’s gratitude to kings, mandarins and ancestors and praying for good harvests, health and prosperity. Traditional worship and prayer activities are also highlighted.

Under the project, local cultural authorities and organisations are in charge of protecting, preserving and managing the heritage.

Tourism agencies are also encouraged to offer tours introducing the culture, art and lifestyle of Chăm people to visitors.

According to Võ Thành Huy, deputy director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the project is essential to the province’s cultural growth.

“Katê Festival is not only the most important festival of the Chăm people in Bình Thuận but also contributes to promoting the culture and image of the locality. Our project will provide local people, particularly youngsters and visitors, with more chances to experience traditional cultural activities,” he said.

CHĂM FESTIVAL: The Katê Festival is celebrated annually for three days in the seventh lunar month by the Chăm, who follow the Balamon religion. Photo courtesy of Bình Thuận Literature & Arts Association.

Katê Festival is celebrated annually for three days in the seventh lunar month by the Chăm, who follow the Balamon religion.

This year, the festival was held at Pô Sah Inư Chăm Towers in Phan Thiết City’s Phú Hài District on October 14. The event also celebrated the 28th Bình Thuận Tourism Day on October 24.

Several traditional rituals such as offering costumes to Po Sah Inư Goddess, bathing Linga - Yoni statues, and the performance of a ‘thanksgiving’ ceremony, were organised.

Many people and artists in traditional clothes joined and performed in ritual and cultural shows, folk dances and music performances of Apsara dances, Ginang and Paranung drums, Saranai trumpets, and folk games.

The Chăm community in Bình Thuận has around 40,000 people mostly living in districts of Tuy Phong, Bắc Bình, Hàm Thuận Bắc and Tánh Linh, with Brahminism followers numbering around 18,000.

Apart from Katê, the Chăm people have other festivals to celebrate their religion and culture, such as Rijanưgar, Súc Dâng, and Tết Ramưwan.

In recent years, the Government and the province have promulgated policies to develop the lives of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas, including the Chăm. — VNS