Khmer people perform traditional chann dance at Kathina ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City

Around 500 Buddhists gathered at Candaransi Pagoda in Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, to participate in the traditional Kathina robe-offering ceremony on the morning of November 8.

About 15 performers from Xung Thum Pagoda in Can Tho City opened the event with a traditional Chann dance. The dancers wore masks and performed powerful movements to the beat of rhythmic drums. In Khmer culture, the Chann, also known as Yeak, represents evil and injustice.

Performers use this figure in rituals to drive away bad luck and seek safety and prosperity for their families and communities. During the ritual, participants carried robes and offerings on their heads, walking three times around the main hall to show respect to the Buddha. Some attendees, including Oanh Na and her sister Kim Sang, wore traditional Khmer clothing and prepared "fortune trees" made of donated money. These offerings symbolize the desire for peace and prosperity.

The ceremony takes place over one month following the three-month rainy season retreat of the monks. The head monk of Candaransi Pagoda, Danh Lung, stated that the Kathina ceremony reflects the kindness of Buddhists in supporting the monkhood and provides a chance for laypeople to accumulate merit. Candaransi Pagoda was built in 1946 and serves as the first Khmer pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City.

It hosts several major traditional festivals throughout the year, including Chol Chnam Thmay and Ok Om Bok.