CCD was founded by a group of Cambodian volunteers in the Washington DC area in 2001 to promote Cambodian culture. CCD organizes and collaborates Cambodian cultural resources and presents them to the public through various events such as the Khmer New Year in April, the annual Cambodian Cultural Festival in the summer and the Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May. Our main focus includes (but is not limited) to:

1. Promoting Cambodian culture in America, especially among youths;
2. Supporting efforts to conserve history and culture;
3. Educating the public about the rich Cambodian culture, heritage, custom, and tradition;
4. Fostering coordination and cooperation with other groups with similar interests;
5. Raising community awareness about Cambodia 's history and culture and the importance of preserving them; and
   Disseminating truthful information about the Cambodian culture and related researches in Cambodia and the USA.

What We Do

CCD provides some ad hoc services to the Khmer community, participates in fundraising activities for various charitable organizations, and foremost, celebrates the Cambodian culture through the annual Cambodian Cultural Festival. The festival is a token of solidarity in the Khmer communities surrounding the Washington DC Metro area. The festival has enabled us to develop bonds, bridge differences and heal rifts in the Khmer communities and beyond. It also provides a means to reach
out and share our values with others.

The festival, attended by several thousand spectators each year, is a showcase of Khmer traditional music, classical, folklore and social dances and shows, and children 's games, arts and crafts, exhibitions and much more. For example, in 2013, CCD organized a unique folklore show titled "Yeeke Mak Theung". In 2014, we produced Lakhon Bassac, a Khmer opera play, a form of Khmer traditional entertainment that UNESCO deems is on its way to extinction.

Besides major productions, we also organize fashion shows to highlight Cambodian traditional clothing from thousands of years ago, participated by Cambodian youths. The shows were presented during Khmer New Year where more than 10,000 celebrants attended. The importance of the festival is to bring large groups of people in the community together to have fun and to share experiences. The festival also exposes Cambodian culture, tradition and values to young Cambodian American.