1. Student's full name: Danh Pho
2. Gender: Male
3. Date of birth: April 18, 1973
4. Place of birth: Vinh Hiep ward, Rach Gia city, Kien Giang province
5. Decision on student admission No. 1811/QD-XHNV dated September 8, 2021, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes to the training process: Yes (renewed once)
7. Thesis title: “The Khmer ethnic group's peace-seeking festival in Kien Giang today: Current situation and some issues to be raised”
8. Major: Religious Studies; Code: 8229009.01
9. Scientific supervisor: Dr. Nguyen Huu Thu
10. Summary of the thesis results:
Within the treasure trove of Vietnamese cultural values, traditional festivals and folk beliefs of ethnic minorities are precious spiritual cultural legacies left by our ancestors. These festivals always originate from everyday life through economic and production activities and aspirations for a better life. They also fully reflect the social development process of an entire ethnic community.
The Khmer people in Southern Vietnam have many unique traditional festivals that are both folk-based and closely linked to Theravada Buddhism. Despite the many ups and downs and historical events, most Khmer festivals have largely preserved their traditional beauty, although they have also absorbed the cultural essence of other ethnic groups in the region. This is what makes Khmer culture distinctly unique and indistinguishable from the cultures of other ethnic groups.
One of the festivals that plays an important role in the life of the Khmer people is the Prayer for Peace Festival. The Prayer for Peace Festival is a form of folk belief that reflects the basic characteristics of Khmer social life, and is an indispensable spiritual and cultural element of the community of each village/hamlet, especially for the Khmer people in Kien Giang province.
The Khmer people in Kien Giang, as well as the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam, are one of the 54 ethnic groups living together in Vietnam. From ancient times, they have possessed a rich and diverse culture, and these cultural and artistic values have actually contributed greatly to the overall development of Vietnamese culture.
In modern life, both material and spiritual matters are of paramount importance. As material life develops, spiritual life is also elevated to a new level. People continuously strive for material development and spiritual strengthening to improve themselves and their social lives. Within each person's spiritual life, issues of festivals and religion are also receiving increasing attention.
Since ancient times, the Khmer people have believed that, in order to have a peaceful and prosperous life for their families and communities, they must annually organize a peace-praying festival to thank the gods and the heavens, expressing their gratitude and seeking divine blessings. Therefore, the peace-praying festival plays a crucial role in the spiritual life of the Khmer people, strongly influencing all community activities. Studying Khmer festivals will, to some extent, help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of Khmer cultural values, contributing to a clearer understanding of the fundamental values, traditions, and customs that have been passed down through generations and continue to have an impact on the present and the long-term future of the Khmer community in Southern Vietnam in general and Kien Giang province in particular.
Besides fulfilling basic functions like other festivals such as propaganda and education, enjoyment and entertainment, and preserving traditions, the Khmer people's prayer festival also plays a crucial role in connecting the community and creating strong bonds among its members. Therefore, research on the Khmer people's "Prayer Festival" in Kien Giang province is essential in the current context.
As a Khmer person born and raised in Kien Giang, and having inherited the finest values of my ethnic group, along with my acquired specialized knowledge and basic understanding of Khmer culture, I have decided to choose the topic: "The Khmer People's Prayer Festival in Kien Giang Today: Current Situation and Some Issues" for my graduation thesis.
Studying the Khmer people's Prayer for Peace festival in Thanh Loc commune, Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang province will help us gain a better understanding of the festivals of Vietnam's ethnic minority communities, contributing to a clearer understanding of the Party's Central Resolution (8th Congress) on "building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity".
11. Practical applications: Can be applied in teaching and research in religious studies.
12. Future research directions: None
13. Published works related to the thesis: None
INFORMATION ON MASTER THESIS
1. Student's name: Danh Pho
2. Sex: Male
3. Date of birth: April 18, 1973
4. Place of birth: Vinh Hiep commune, Rach Gia district, Kien Giang province
5. Student recognition decision No. 1811/QD-XHNV dated September 8, 2021 by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University.
6. Changes in the training process: During the training, nothing changed.
7. Thesis title: Bum Komsan sroc-peace ceremony de Khmer people in cien Giang nowadays. real state of effects and some discllssed issues
8. Major: Religious Studies; Code: 8229009.01
9. Scientific instructors: Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Huu Thu
10. Summary of the results of the thesis:
In the treasure of Vietnamese cultural values, traditional festivals and folk beliefs of ethnic areas are valuable cultural and spiritual legacies left by our ancestors. Those festivals always originate from everyday activities through productive economic activities and the desire for a better life. At the same time, it also fully reflects the social development process of an entire ethnic community.
Khmer people in the South have many unique traditional festivals that are both national folk and associated with Khmer Theravada Buddhism. Through many ups and downs and events of history, up to now most Khmer festivals still retain their traditional beauty quite intact, despite absorbing the cultural quintessence of other ethnic groups and communities in the area. This is what makes Khmer culture have its own, unique characteristics that cannot be "mixed" with the cultures of other ethnic groups.
One of the festivals that plays an important role in the lives of Khmer people is the Cau An festival. Cau An Festival is a form of folk belief that reflects the basic characteristics of Khmer social life, and is an indispensable spiritual and cultural element of the community of each phum/sroc, especially those with Khmer people in Kien Giang province.
The Khmer people in Kien Giang, as well as the Khmer people in the South, are one of the 54 ethnic groups living together in Vietnam. Since ancient times, they have had an extremely rich and diverse culture, rich in cultural values. That artistic culture has actually contributed greatly to the overall development of Vietnamese culture.
In today's life, material and spiritual issues are always of greatest concern. As material life is increasingly developed, spiritual life is also raised to a new level, people are constantly developing. develop materially as well as strengthen spiritually to perfect oneself and perfect social life. In each person's spiritual life, issues of festivals and religion have also been of concern. Since ancient times, Khmer people have believed that, in order to have a peaceful life and prosperous business in the family and Phum Sroc community, every year they must organize a peace festival to offer thanks to the gods, heaven and earth. Express the people's gratitude and pray for God's blessing. Therefore, the peace festival plays an important role in the spiritual life of the Khmer people, it governs and strongly impacts all community activities. Therefore, research on Khmer festivals will partly help us have a more comprehensive view of the cultural values of the Khmer people, contributing to a clearer view of the basic features of Khmer people's values. Good values, traditions and customs from ancient times are still effective in the present and into the long-term future in the Southern Khmer community in general and Kien Giang Khmer in particular.
The Khmer peace festival, in addition to performing basic functions such as: educational propaganda function, enjoyment and entertainment function, traditional preservation function... like many other festivals, it also has important role and function to link the community to create a strong bond for members of the community-society. Therefore, research on the "Praying for Peace Festival" of the Khmer people in Kien Giang province is necessary in the current situation.
I myself am a Khmer by birth and enjoy the quintessential values of the nation, along with the specialized knowledge I have learned and the basic understanding of Khmer culture, I decided to choose the topic: “Bum Komsan sroc-peace ceremony de Khmer people in cien Giang nowadays. real state of Effairs And some Discllssed Issues” to write my graduation thesis.
Researching the Cau An communities festival of the Khmer people in Thanh Loc commune, Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang province will help us gain more understanding about the festivals of Vietnamese ethnic minority, contributing to clarifying more about the Party's Central Resolution (term VIII) on "building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture, rich in national identity".
11. Practical applicability, if any: Can be applied in teaching and researching religious studies
12. Further research directions, if any: None yet
13. Thesis-related publications: None
