Unique Khmer cultural features at the Pha Bau Festival in Loc Thanh border commune

On the morning of April 7, the Khmer ethnic community in Loc Thanh border commune, Dong Nai province, held the 2026 Pha Bau Festival (also called the Dua Tpeng Festival). More than a community fun activity, the festival carries profound spiritual meaning, expressing aspirations for bumper crops, prosperous lives, and community solidarity in the border area.

Leaders of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, local leaders, and a large number of residents of Loc Thanh commune attended the festival.

A special Lam Thon dance is performed by the Khmer people in Loc Thanh at the festival. Photo: Nguyen Tan

The Pha Bau Festival of the Khmer people in Loc Thanh commune is a form of folk culture containing many unique values of the Khmer people. The festival clearly reflects the life of agricultural residents engaged in wet-rice and upland farming. Through the festival, Khmer people in Loc Thanh pray for peace, good health, bumper crops, flourishing plants, and the growth of all living things.

The festival space was set at the water reservoir in K Lieu hamlet, Loc Thanh commune. According to Khmer tradition, “pha bau” is a ritual to reopen the “bau” (natural lakes) after a period of preservation, symbolizing the sharing of natural resources with the community.

The ritual of worshipping spirits is performed by village elders and prestigious local figures before the fishing activity begins. Photo: Nguyen Tan

After the solemn ceremony praying for favorable weather, people move on to the lively festival activities – the most anticipated moment of the event. To participate in the festival, families prepare tools such as fishing baskets, carrying baskets, fish scoops, and containers. At the lake, women, children, and young men and women quickly use the tools to catch fish.

According to Village Elder Lam Kuong in K Lieu hamlet, during the Pha Bau Festival, whoever catches the first big fish is considered blessed. They will offer the catch to the whole village to show respect and gratitude to heaven, earth, and the spirits. In addition, the fish caught will be used to prepare various dishes for enjoyment and exchange during the festival day. Therefore, the festival is also an occasion for people inside and outside the hamlet and village to meet and share affection and production experiences, demonstrating solidarity and traditional cultural values.

Hundreds of people participate in fishing activity at the Pha Bau festival. Photo: Nguyen Tan

The joy of people catching large fish at the festival. Photo: Nguyen Tan

Loc Thanh has 38% of its population belonging to ethnic minorities, the majority of whom are Khmer people. Maintaining the Pha Bau Festival is of great significance to the cultural and spiritual life of the Khmer community living in the locality.

Le Thinh, Vice Chairman of the Loc Thanh Commune People’s Committee and Head of the Festival Organizing Committee, said the locality always strives to maintain the Pha Bau Festival at this time every year because it is an activity aimed at preserving and promoting the diverse cultural heritage of the locality. At the same time, through the festival, local authorities propagate and mobilize people to protect the natural lakes and prevent encroachment and illegal fishing in these reservoirs. The local government also hopes that through its future editions, the Pha Bau Festival of the Khmer people in Loc Thanh will soon be recognized by authorities as provincial-level intangible cultural heritage and linked with local tourism development activities.

By Nguyen Tan, Trung Quang – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha