The Patum Wongsa Som Rong Pagoda in Soc Trang. Photo: VNA
HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - The Patum Wongsa Som Rong Pagoda in theMekong Delta province of Soc Trang is one of the most beautiful andlargest Khmer pagodas in the region.
Ethnic Khmer pagoda Som Rong, famous for a giant reclining Buddha statue,looks even more magnificent when the sun goes down.
It is located at 367 Ton Duc Thang street in Soc Trang town. The pagoda datesback to around 1785 and was originally built using bamboo, wood and simple leafroofing.
It is the work of the Khmer ethnic community that resides in the MekongDelta.
The main hall is used for worship with its roof decorated with detailsdepicting the goddess Keynor and Krud, a bird god. On both sides of theentrance are statues of qilin, amythical chimerical creature known in East Asian cultures.
Its architecture combines both traditional Khmer culture and modernity with aunique colour scheme, creating a charming highlight.
The highlight of the temple is its reclining Buddha statue that is 63m long,22.5m high and weighs 490 tonnes. It is currently one of the largest recliningBuddha statues in Vietnam. It can be seen from hundreds of metres away./.
Export revenue of the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang reached 470 million USD in the first six months of 2020, up 26 percent over the same period in 2019, despite impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and severe salinity.
The Khmer community in Soc Trang province, along with Khmer people in the southern region, are celebrating their traditional Sene Dolta festival from September 16 to 18.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her entourage were kept busy during a working trip to the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang on November 26.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
An art exchange programme between Vietnam and Cambodia was held on the evening of June 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long as part of the 2025 Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam.
Digitalisation does not mean commercialisation or oversimplification of culture. It is a way of selecting, adapting, and spreading traditional values through a modern language.
The 11th edition is expected to serve as a vital channel for conveying Vietnam’s development message to the international community, and represent a milestone in the implementation of the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 57 on continuing to improve the quality and efficiency of external information service in the new situation.
The Patum Wongsa Som Rong Pagoda in Soc Trang. Photo: VNA 
