Phnom Penh & Culture: The Chapei Dang Veng National Festival is coming soon

The 2025 National Chapei Dang Veng Festival will be held from 11 to 13 June in the theatre hall of the Department of Visual Arts in Phnom Penh.

Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, this three-day event aims to preserve and promote the traditional Cambodian art of Chapei Dang Veng, a two-stringed, long-necked guitar accompanied by singing, which is deeply rooted in Cambodia's cultural heritage.

The festival will feature a competition open to Cambodian artists specialising in the performance of Chapei Dang Veng. Participants must submit a 15-minute video of their singing or playing before 12 May 2025, without sound editing. The competition will take place in three stages: video qualification, semi-finals on 12 June and finals on 13 June. Candidates will perform live on themes such as ‘Tampaing Snoung Rusei’ and other topics selected by the committee.

Prizes include a gold medal and 6 million riels for first place, silver and bronze medals with cash prizes for second and third places, and honourable mentions with certificates and cash prizes. The festival also encourages the participation of talented people with disabilities, emphasising inclusion.

About Chapei Dang Veng

Chapei Dang Veng is a traditional Cambodian musical art form centred around the chapei, a long-necked, two-stringed lute. This instrument, usually plucked, has two double rows of nylon strings and is an integral part of Cambodian festivals and cultural ceremonies. The music is performed with songs whose lyrics cover a wide range of themes such as education, social commentary, satire, traditional poems, folk tales and Buddhist stories.

This tradition is of considerable cultural importance in Cambodia, as it serves multiple functions such as preserving traditional rituals, transmitting social, cultural and religious knowledge, and promoting the ancient Khmer language. It also provides a platform for social and political commentary, entertainment, intergenerational connections and social cohesion within communities.

Performers of Chapei Dang Veng must demonstrate not only musical skill, but also wit, improvisational ability and storytelling talent. Although it is mainly played by men, there are no restrictions on the gender of those who can play chapei. The art is passed down orally through families and master-apprentice relationships, but the number of practitioners has declined, particularly due to the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge regime, which disrupted the transmission of this cultural heritage.

Recognising its cultural value and the threat of its disappearance, Chapei Dang Veng was inscribed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2016. Efforts supported by international cooperation include training new teachers, scholarship programmes for young masters and cultural festivals to revive and sustain the tradition.

Chapei Dang Veng is not only a musical tradition but a vital cultural expression that encapsulates Cambodian history, language, and social values.