The 17th Khmer Ethnic Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival of An Giang Province in 2025 will take place in Go Quao commune over three days, from November 4 to 6 (corresponding to the lunar dates of September 15 to 17), coinciding with the Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer ethnic community. The festival is organized at the provincial level and is expected to attract around 200,000 to 250,000 attendees from within and outside the province.

The festival consists of two parts: ceremonial and festive. The opening ceremony and Ngo boat race will be held at 7:30 AM on November 5; the Moon Worship Ceremony will take place on the evening of November 5.

The festive part includes vibrant activities such as: displaying images and artifacts of the Khmer people under the theme “Colors of Khmer Cultural Heritage in An Giang Province”; exhibitions and book displays; trade fairs and local product showcases; beautiful floating stage competitions; and the 2025 “Traditional Khmer Arts” festival of An Giang Province.

In addition, the festival will feature sports competitions such as: Ngo boat racing, Taekwondo, football, and volleyball. Specifically, the Ngo boat race has 55 registered teams competing in various distances, including: 800m men's race with 20 teams; 1,200m men's race with 21 teams; and 800m mixed-gender race with 14 teams.

According to Vice Chairman Le Trung Ho, this is the first time the Khmer Ethnic Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival is held after the administrative merger into the new An Giang Province. Therefore, it must be organized thoughtfully and stably to foster unity among ethnic groups, contribute to economic development, improve material and spiritual life, promote patriotic traditions, and strengthen the great national unity bloc.

Speaking at the inspection meeting, Vice Chairman Le Trung Ho praised the efforts of departments, sectors, and members of the Steering and Organizing Commissions for their dedication and awareness of the festival’s importance, as well as their proactive preparation for the event.

Vice Chairman Le Trung Ho requested that members of the Steering and Organizing Commissions, along with departments, sectors, and localities, continue to coordinate closely, raise awareness of the festival’s goals and significance, promote the role of each level and sector, adhere to the plan to meet set requirements, review the program script and assigned tasks, and develop detailed activity plans for each subcommittee. He emphasized the need to build on strengths, address shortcomings, and ensure that the festival is dignified, rich in Khmer cultural identity, and promotes unity for a safe, well-organized, and thoughtful event.

Additionally, he called for enhanced in-depth and visually engaging communication to create a joyful and exciting atmosphere that attracts a large number of attendees. Environmental landscape, public order, and safety must be ensured; patrols and monitoring increased; food safety maintained; traffic flow around the festival area managed; parking areas guided; and fire prevention, rescue, and emergency response measures prepared to handle any incidents that may affect the festival.

News by: Nhu Ngoc

Translator: Thi Huynh