The event was also attended by leaders of ministries, sectors, and localities, together with thousands of locals and domestic and international visitors.
The festival brings together artisan and amateur performing troupes from localities with large Cham populations, including Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, An Giang, Tay Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City. More than simply an occasion to celebrate the distinctive traditional cultural values of the Cham people, the festival also provides a space for cultural exchange and regional connectivity, contributing to the rich and diverse cultural landscape shared by Viet Nam’s 54 ethnic groups.
Delivering the opening speech, Nguyen Viet Hung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa Province, affirmed that, under the theme of “Preserving and Promoting the Cultural Identity of the Cham Ethnic Group in the New Era”, the festival is a cultural event of special significance, demonstrating the determination to implement the Party’s policy of developing culture into an endogenous resource and an important driving force for the country's rapid and sustainable development.
The festival not only honours the unique values of Cham culture but also promotes the image of the peaceful, warm-hearted, and dynamic land and people of Khanh Hoa. It showcases a locality blessed with beautiful natural landscapes, diverse cultural heritage, a civilised society, and happy people. It also provides an opportunity to strengthen cooperation among localities with Cham communities, develop distinctive cultural tourism products, and enhance the attractiveness and standing of Viet Nam's tourism industry in the process of international integration.
In her welcoming remarks, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan emphasised that the Cham ethnic community has a long and distinguished history, possessing a rich cultural heritage with many unique values that have made significant contributions to the formation, interaction, and development of Vietnamese culture.
From ancient architectural works, religious institutions, and rare collections of ancient manuscripts and national treasures to traditional festivals, handicraft villages, traditional costumes, and folk arts, all of these features have created a distinctive Cham cultural identity that has enriched the continuous flow of Vietnamese culture.
The Vice President called on authorities at all levels, sectors, and localities to continue effectively implementing the Party and state’s policies on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people; to promote the strength of the great national unity bloc; and to pay greater attention to comprehensively preserving and promoting the cultural values of all ethnic communities, including the Cham people.
Every preserved cultural value is not only an asset of one community but also an important resource for building an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity, contributing to the cause of national construction and defence in the new era of development.
The opening ceremony concluded with a culturally rich artistic programme featuring songs, dances, and traditional folk performances presented by the Cham people and other ethnic communities.
More than simply a festival for the Cham community, the event also conveys a message of solidarity, respect for cultural diversity, and the shared aspiration to preserve and promote heritage values, enabling culture to truly become an endogenous strength accompanying the country's sustainable development.
