Preserving and promoting Cham cultural values in Phan Hiep commune

Phan Hiep is one of three communes of pure Cham ethnic group in Bac Binh district, converging and preserving many unique Cham cultural features. The preservation and promotion of Cham cultural values here always receives the attention of the locality, the province, especially the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province.

Phan Hiep has 3 villages including Binh Tien, Binh Duc and Binh Hieu. The commune has the Binh Thuan Cham Cultural Exhibition Center managed by the Provincial Museum under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, built in the central area of the commune. This is a favorable condition for organizing exchange activities between the locality and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In recent times, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has had many good ways to contribute to preserving and promoting the unique traditional cultural values of the Cham people in the commune.

Cham Cultural Exhibition Center in Phan Hiep Commune.

In order to promote the festival values of the Cham people in the commune, every year the Provincial Museum and the Binh Thuan Cham Cultural Exhibition Center coordinate with the locality to organize the Kate Festival at Po Anit Temple and cultural and sports exchange activities, as well as visits and gift giving. In particular, in 2022, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the inclusion of the Kate Festival of the Cham people in Binh Thuan province in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, contributing to the preservation, maintenance and promotion of the values of the Kate Festival to serve the religious and spiritual activities of the people. On November 29, 2022, "The Art of Pottery of the Cham People" was officially inscribed by UNESCO on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding". Immediately after that, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism quickly developed the Project "Preserving and developing the traditional pottery craft of the Cham people in Binh Duc village, Phan Hiep commune, Bac Binh district", worked with Phan Hiep commune and built the model "Cultural tourism site of the traditional Cham pottery craft village in Binh Duc".

Making pottery in Binh Duc village.

After conducting a field inspection of some traditional pottery production facilities of the Cham people in Binh Duc village, a welcome gate was installed at the entrance of Binh Duc village and signs and iron shelves to display products for households and pottery production facilities in the village. In the coming time, the Department will focus on implementing the Project to Preserve and Develop the Traditional Pottery Craft of the Cham People in Binh Duc village. Survey, research, compile and publish books introducing the traditional pottery craft of Binh Duc village to preserve and promote its value for local tourism development...

Artist demonstrating pottery making

Currently, implementing projects and sub-projects under the socio-economic development target program for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in the period of 2021 - 2030 in the province, including ethnic minorities in Phan Hiep commune. In 2023, the Department, together with the locality, organized classes to teach Cham Ariya singing and traditional pottery making techniques, both to preserve and enrich the cultural and spiritual life of the people... At the same time, regularly coordinate with the locality to propagate and disseminate the Party's policies and the State's laws and policies, through organizing training classes on family work and the movement of the People's solidarity to build a cultural life for cultural and social cadres and civil servants of the commune. As well as, propagating contents on moral education, family lifestyle, gender equality and prevention of domestic violence. At the same time, the implementation of the "Family Code of Conduct" has contributed to raising awareness and responsibility of cadres and people in ethnic minority areas. The forms of propaganda have been diversified, integrated, combined with theatrical performances, plays, and mobile film screenings to serve cadres and people on holidays, New Year, and Kate festivals of the Cham people in Phan Hiep commune, which have been effective...

With the connection between Phan Hiep commune and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in many activities, especially preserving and promoting cultural values, the new rural construction movement promotes the economic - cultural and social development of the Cham ethnic community here.

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