Kate festival, the most important event of the Cham ethnic group, was held on October 16 in the south-central coastal province of Binh Thuan.
The Cham people in traditional costumes celebrates Kate Festival.
Hundreds of Cham people in traditional costumes in the province gathered at the Poshanu tower, a national historic and cultural relic in Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, in the early morning to celebrate the event.
The festival falls on the first day of the seventh month of the Cham’s calendar (this corresponds with October) and will last for ten days. Celebrations are held at mausoleums, temples, shrines, and in the family homes of the Cham people. They commemorate the gods, heroes, ancestors, and such kings with much merit as Poklong, Garai, and Porome.
Highlight activities were the Po Sah Inu Goddess costume carrying ceremony – an important ritual of the Kate Festival, and Linga-Yoni altar bathing rite
It is a chance for local and international visitors to enjoy a unique folk event of the Cham nation and discover the ethnic minority’s cultural features.
Kate festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2017.
By Nguyen Tien – Translated by Kim Khanh
