Dignitaries, monks, nuns and Khmer Buddhist followers in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang received gifts from the Steering Committee for the Southwest Region on the occasion of their Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) festival.

A delegation, including representatives from the Steering Committee and a number of other agencies in the region, High Command Zone 9 and the provincial Committee for Ethnic Affairs, paid a visit to the locality on April 14, during which they visited a number of Khmer pagodas in Vi Thanh city and Long My and Vi Thuy districts.

Head of the delegation Nguyen Quang Thuong congratulated local Khmer people on their New Year festival, and called on them to work harder to make their life better.

According to Venerable Ly Ve, Head of the provincial Association for Solidarity of Patriotic Buddhist Monks, Khmer people in the locality have effectively used support sources provided by the State to promote economic development.

Courses were organised in Khmer pagodas to teach Vietnamese and Khmer classes for Khmer children in Hau Giang, contributing to preserving the cultural values of the Khmer ethnic group, the monk said.

Chol Chnam Thmay is one of the most important festivals of the year for the Khmer people. It usually lasts three days and is celebrated mostly in pagodas.

This year’s festival takes place from April 14-16.-VNA