Transforming Khmer Festival Culture: The Role of Abbots at Khmer Theravada Temples (A Case Study of the Chol Chnam Thmay Festival)

Abstract

In recent years, the preservation and promotion of the cultural values of ethnic minorities have received great attention from the Vietnamese government in areas undergoing socio-economic development. Consequently, the traditional festivals of ethnic communities, including the Khmer festival in Lộc Ninh in Southeast Vietnam, are being strongly revived. However, due to the impact of various factors, the organisation and practice of traditional festivals have changed significantly. This article focuses on analysing and evaluating the current state of the Chol Chnam Thmay festival, one of the most prominent traditional festivals of the Khmer community. Through field research, findings reveal that the transformation of the festival is influenced not only by natural factors, government policies, and cultural interactions between ethnic groups, but also significantly by the role of abbots in Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples, particularly in the Lộc Ninh area of Bình Phước province.