Spreading Cambodian Cultural and Artistic Values in Tra Vinh Province

Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam 2022 takes place in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh.

Within the framework of the Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam 2022, in addition to activities in HCM City, the Cambodian national art troupe also performed in Tra Vinh on September 30 night, VNA reported.

The event is co-organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Cambodia on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations and the Vietnam-Cambodia, Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Year 2022.

Within the framework of Cambodian Culture Week in Tra Vinh, Cambodia brought folk and contemporary art performances, introducing the country’s rich culture, including dance, singing, and drama. and music, including some art forms that have been inscribed by UNESCO in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The performances earned the applause of the audience who want to enjoy and learn about Cambodian culture. Outstanding performances at the program include Apsara dance, Lkhon Khol mask dance, Cambodian folk musical solo, Ploy Suoy dance, contemporary dance about Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship.

The special art program performed by Cambodian artists was warmly welcomed by the audience in Tra Vinh province and neighboring areas.

More specifically, this event received an enthusiastic response from students of Tra Vinh University, the youth union of Tra Vinh province, the Khmer community in the South, representatives of the young generation, fulfilling the expectations of the senior leaders of the two countries when setting the goal of jointly educating the young generations of the two sides to continue to cultivate the friendly neighborly relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Cambodian national art troupe will perform in Tra Vinh on September 30 night.

Earlier, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tra Vinh province Le Van Han on September 30 received a delegation from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia led by Minister of State Long Ponnasirivath who is in Vietnam to attend the Cambodia Culture Week.

Lauding Tra Vinh’s strong performance in preserving cultural heritage and great attention to improving the material and spiritual life of Khmer community, Ponnasirivath expressed his hope that the Mekong Delta province will continue to provide best conditions for Cambodian students in the locality.

Han said that about 31% of Tra Vinh population are from the Khmer ethnic minority group. The province is home to 143 Buddhism pagodas, many of which have been recognised as national cultural heritage. They have received regular restoration and upgrade, he added.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tra Vinh province Le Van Han works with Minister of State Long Ponnasirivath and delegates.

At the same time, the locality has paid great attention to the preservation of cultural values of the Khmer community, he said, adding that schools in the Khmer community-inhabited areas have taught both Vietnamese and Khmer languages.

Tra Vinh University is the only in the country that has a Southern Khmer language, culture and arts faculty, he added.

Han said that along with the socio-economic and cultural development in the locality, the level of literacy of Khmer people in recent years has increased markedly, while the cultural identity of the community has always been preserved and promoted.

The provincial leader also briefed the guest on the potential development of the locality, which has 65km coastline and great advantages in wind power production. Tra Vinh is home to 11 wind power projects and three thermal power projects, he added, suggesting that the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts will help popularise the local tourist destinations to international friends.

The Cambodian delegation paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his memorial temple in Tra Vinh province.

The delegation of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Arts also paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the President’s memorial temple in Tra Vinh province, expressing their deep gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh – world cultural celebrity, the respected leader of the Vietnamese people, who together with King Norodom Sihanouk laid a solid foundation for the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship.

The President Ho Chi Minh memorial temple in Tra Vinh province was recognized as Vietnam’s national cultural historical relic in 1989. The temple has become a popular tourist destination in the southwestern region, especially during the lunar New Year festival.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong and secretary of state and spokesman of Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts Long Ponnasirivath signed a cultural and artistic cooperation programme for the 2023 – 2027 period at a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City.

Within the framework of the Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam 2022, a plan on cooperation in culture and arts between the two countries’ culture ministries for 2023-2027 had been signed.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed that Cambodia will send delegations to visit and work in Vietnam in 2024 and 2026, while Vietnam will send delegations to Cambodia in 2023 and 2025.

The two sides will coordinate to organise the Vietnamese Culture Week in Cambodia in 2024 and 2026, and the Cambodian Culture Week in Vietnam in 2023 and 2025.

In 2027, the two culture weeks will be held in the two countries on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Cambodia, along with other activities such as art performances and exhibitions.

The two sides will support and create favourable conditions for the cooperation between their agencies operating in cultural and artistic research, conservation of traditional cultural heritage, fine arts, photography, exhibitions and libraries; and the organisation of cultural and art exchange programmes in border areas.

Vietnam will train Cambodian students at cultural and art schools managed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The specific quantity and time will be agreed in detail on the basis of the two government’s approval.