Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh ( Photo: VOV)

Some 3,000 artisans, artists and performers from 12 southern cities and provinces attended the festival. Addressing the opening ceremony, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh praised recent policies to promote social economic development and called for more effort to preserve the Khmer people’s unique cultural values: “The festival is significant in realizing the party and State guidelines and policies in the preservation and promotion of southern Khmer people’s culture and spiritual life.”

The festival reflected the tradition of patriotism and consolidate national unity while preserving Khmer culture in national integration.