From early in the morning, local people and Buddhists visited pagodas around Soc Trang province to make offerings of rice. Local Khmer people joyfully celebrated the Chol Chnam Thmay festival this year thanks to improved livelihoods, bumper harvests, and agricultural products selling at better prices. Local Khmer people cleaned and decorated their homes and prepared Buddhist and family altars, while pagodas were decorated to welcome in the New Year  With hard work in production and economic development, local Khmer people welcomed the Chol Chnam Thmay New Year festival with a major sense of happiness./.