(VOVWORLD) - The ox racing festival of Ro pagoda in An Giang province is a typical sporting event of the Khmer in the southern region. The traditional sporting eventis held after harvesting for people to relax and enhance their community bond.
 Ox racing festival of Ro pagoda (photo: VOV) |
The ox racing festival of Ro pagoda derives from the wet rice cultivation of the local Khmer peoplein Tinh Bien town. Head monk of Ro pagoda Chau Soc Khonl said: “It’s the Khmer custom that before the Sen Dolta festival and after harvesting, the farmers gather forox racing. Winning or losing is not important, the game is for fun.”
The festival is a time for the Khmer to honor thepridein their ancestors, said Dr. Duong Duc Minh, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Research Center for Economic and Tourism Development, said: “There are many rounds and strict rules. The competition is dubbed as an epic praising the ecological landscape, peaceful nature, and people’s gratefulness to Mother Nature. The ox symbolizes the power, vitality, and development of agriculture.”
The race venueis a flat field, about 200m long and 100m wide. The land surface is watered and plowed many times to create slippery mud. The field has embankments and behind the finish line is an open space.
At the starting and finish lines, there are two green and red flags marking the places of twopairs of oxen. This year’s festival attracted 24 pairs of oxen from Tinh Bien town and Tri Ton district in An Giang.
Photographer Huynh Phuc Hau, a member of the Organizing Board, said: “Ro pagoda has an ox racing field. The number of spectators increases year after year. This year is the 10th year. We are very happy to receive many visitors from all over the country coming to watch the ox racing.”
The racing format includes drawing lots to select pairs of oxen to compete. The two pairs compete in two rounds – warming up andaccelerating– under the control of their owners or the “ox jockey”. The “warming upround” aims to help the oxen get acquainted with the racetrack. The “acceleratinground” is the time when the oxen run at their full speed to the finish line. The champion oxen must compete in all rounds and directly defeat each “opponent”. Technical problems such as broken harrows, infringement of the racetrack, or the ox jockey falling off the harrow in the “accelerating round” are countedas losers.
 The ox racers are carefully taken care of for the competition. (photo: VOV) |
Photographer Ho Y from Ho Chi Minh City, said: “I have attended the ox racing for fiveor six years. I’m passionate about taking photos of the ox racers. This year tournament is more crowded with spectators, photographers, and sponsors than in previous years.”
The racing oxen are beautifully decorated with yellow bells while their horns are wrapped in colorful cloths. To have healthy pairs for the competition, the oxen’s owners have taken great care of them and regularly trained them to run on muddy fields.
One of the owners said: “Normally, cows can eat whatever they want. But before the competition, I feed them at certain times and a certain amount, just enough, not full. The oxen are fed with nutritious foods, such as eggs, fresh coconut, and porridge. They must practice running regularly, from one to three times a week.”
In recent years, the ox racing festival of the Khmer has attracted a large number ofVietnamese and foreign tourists from all parts of the country.