Cham people’s traditional Kate festival to be held in October

A program honoring Cham folk arts and a display of objects featuring Cham culture will be held at the centre, while ethnic Cham artisans from Bac Binh, Tuy Phong and Ham Thuan districts will play Saranai trumpet, make ginger cakes, and prepare offerings to ancestors.

Visitors will have an opportunity to join traditional Cham dances such as Biyen, Chron, and Balaiy and explore two traditional crafts of Cham people: weaving and pottery making.

The Cham people celebrate Kate festival during the first 10 days of the 7th month of the Cham Calendar to thank their Gods and promote their traditional culture and arts. 

The Cham people in Binh Thuan celebrate several unique folk festivals, such as Kate, Ramawan and Rija Nagar.

The Cham Ethnic Group Cultural Centre was inaugurated in 2010, covering an area of over 3,000 sq.m with a total investment of over VND 18 billion (around US$900,000) and took 22 months to build.

Items on display at the centre are arranged under six themes, featuring the daily life and traditional culture of the Cham ethnic group, including Cham royal family heritage; images and antiques; traditional agro-fishing equipment, Cham pottery; weaving products; and research on intangible culture.

The centre aims to introduce and preserve the tangible and intangible cultural values of Cham people. It is also a place for the Cham people in the province to gather for communal activities.

By Thuy Dung