Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the clatter of horse hooves still echoes throughout the villages and hamlets, a proud symbol of the indigenous culture of the Bay Nui region in An Giang .
Horse-drawn carriages are not just a means of livelihood but have become a unique cultural symbol, preserving the soul and free-spirited character of the honest people in the southwestern border region.
A quiet note amidst the rhythm of modern life
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, we traveled back to the Seven Mountains region of An Giang, along Provincial Road 948 to An Cu commune, about 80km from Long Xuyen, to explore the once-famous "capital" of horse-drawn carriages in the majestic Thất Sơn region.
For the people of Van Giao, Vinh Trung, and An Cu communes in the former Tinh Bien town (now An Cu commune, An Giang province), the slow, rhythmic clatter of horse hooves as they make a living amidst the hustle and bustle of the city is like a nostalgic melody, full of pride for the Khmer people in this border region.
According to the elders here, around the 1970s, the entire Bay Nui region used to have hundreds of horse-drawn carriages bustling back and forth on all the roads.
Despite their small stature, these borderland horses possess incredible endurance, capable of carrying over half a ton of cargo across rugged, muddy mountain roads – places where even the most modern engines would fail.
However, under the pressure of urbanization and the rise of convenient means of transportation, the profession of "horse-drawn carriage driver" (driving horse-drawn carts for hire) seemed at one point to be fading into the past.
From hundreds of horse-drawn carriages in its heyday, the entire region now has only about 4-5 carriages, concentrated in An Cu commune. The once bustling carriage stations are now just empty plots of land along Provincial Road 948, and the last remaining horse drivers in the Bay Nui region wait daily for a rare carriage ride.
Mr. Chau Da (born in 1965, residing in Vinh Lap hamlet, An Cu commune) said that in the past, horse-drawn carts carrying goods were incredibly common in the Bay Nui region of An Giang, partly because other means of transportation were unavailable, and partly because the mountain roads were rugged, so at that time, transportation was only possible by horse-drawn carts.
Unlike the opulent horse-drawn carriages in other regions, the carriages in Bay Nui are quite simple and rustic, with wooden wheels. Many people call them "single-horse carriages," because only one horse pulls them.
Around the 1950s, inflatable wheels appeared, which were convenient and required less effort to pull, so they were used to replace wooden wheels. Thanks to this, horse-drawn carriages could carry 500 kg and travel faster.
The horse-drawn carriage had no handrails, so the passengers swayed and bobbed, floating along with the delightful clatter of the horses' hooves.
Gently stroking the mane of his approximately six-year-old gray horse, Mr. Chau Soc Kha (a resident of An Cu commune) recounted that in the old days, owning a horse meant having money and stable employment. Horse-drawn carts would arrive at the dock and people would hire them to transport goods, from firewood and rice seeds to fertilizer, timber, and construction materials... Some trips were only a few kilometers, while others stretched for tens of kilometers.
Every day, the horse makes countless trips, the sweat of both man and horse mingling with the dust of the country roads. In his healthier years, Mr. Chau Soc Kha earned an average of 100,000-200,000 dong per day, depending on the trip. In months when he worked hard, after deducting expenses for feed and horseshoeing, he still had a few million dong left over, enough income to support his family.
"With the development of society and the increasing number of motorized vehicles, fewer and fewer people are hiring horse-drawn carts to transport goods. Although some days we have customers and some days we don't, this profession is ingrained in my blood. The horse not only helps me earn a living (400,000 - 500,000 VND/day) but is also the soul of my village," Mr. Chau Soc Kha shared.
Preserving the "rhythm" of heritage
Not far away, Nonh Oanh No (born in 1983, residing in Vinh Tam hamlet) - a second-generation horse trainer in An Cu commune - was sipping coffee while gazing out at the empty plot of land opposite, waiting for the first customers of the day.
Having worked as a horse handler transporting goods for over 10 years, Nô said that although it's no longer as common as before, horse handlers like him remain dedicated to the profession because of their love and understanding for these beloved animals.
In particular, horse-drawn carriages remain a means of transportation for the local people, especially in remote villages and hamlets with narrow roads inaccessible to trucks. According to Mr. Nô, most of the horse-drawn carriage drivers are Khmer men who consider this their livelihood, so they regularly go to the station to wait for customers regardless of the weather.
“The people here consider horses a valuable asset and treat them like members of the family. My family has made a living for two generations driving horse-drawn carts throughout the region. Thanks to the horses pulling the carts, my family has a stable income…” Mr. Nô confided.
Taking a sip of his unsweetened black coffee, his gaze drifting towards the palm groves, Nô recalled that when he was a child, around 13 or 14 years old, he followed his father driving horse-drawn carts throughout the region, transporting goods for hire. As he grew older, his father taught him how to drive horses in the villages. Before long, Nô became a true horse driver and dedicated himself to the profession because the sound of hooves had become deeply ingrained in his memory.
According to Mr. Nô, each horse handler has their own secrets in selecting breeds and training horses. For pack horses and carts, strength is paramount, while for horses used for tourism, docility and gentleness are prioritized. After buying and raising them, horses are trained to walk on main roads and familiarize themselves with vehicles when they reach two years old, or to go into villages and hamlets to practice their skills in navigating curves and climbing hills. Gradually, they are trained to pull empty carts, then to pull carts carrying light loads before progressing to heavier loads.
Due to their wild nature, horses don't readily obey their owners and require considerable time and effort to tame. To ensure horses are excellent pack horses, it's necessary to choose good breeds with a good physique, large, strong legs, and attractive swirls of fur.
Furthermore, to make a horse obedient, you have to use a combination of firmness and gentleness. When it's well-behaved and obedient, you usually give it grass to eat and coconut water to drink. But when it's disobedient, you have to scold it, or even use a whip to discipline it and establish authority.
Today, with the development of infrastructure and the rise of motorized vehicles, horse-drawn carriages have sometimes been relegated to oblivion. However, in hidden corners where modern motorized vehicles are powerless – narrow village lanes, rugged mountain slopes – the proud sound of horse hooves still echoes.
The value of horse-drawn carriages lies not only in their economic aspect, generating a daily income of several hundred thousand dong, but also in their transformation into a distinctive cultural feature that attracts tourists.
According to Mr. Ngo Van Cuong, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of An Cu commune, the horse-drawn cart-making profession was familiar in the locality about 20 years ago. As the economy developed and the new rural development program spread to all corners of the countryside, dirt roads were replaced by concrete and asphalt roads, and motorbikes and trucks gradually replaced horse-drawn carts.
With no more regular customers hiring them for transporting goods, most people sold their horses and carts, shifting their livelihoods. A few still kept their carts and horses, partly out of passion and partly to adapt to the new circumstances.
“Refurbished vehicles and well-cared-for horses have become unique highlights in experiential tours, taking visitors to explore ancient temples, dreamy palm fields, or vibrant flower displays in traditional wedding processions… in the Bay Nui region of An Giang. Each ride not only brings in an income of 300,000-1,000,000 VND for the driver but also carries the mission of telling the story of a hospitable and kind-hearted An Giang,” emphasized Ngo Van Cuong, Chairman of the An Cu Commune Farmers' Association.
Leaving An Cu commune in the scorching midday sun, the sound of horse hooves clattering at the foot of the That Son mountain range, though sometimes sparse, remains an integral part of the "soul" of the land and people of An Giang.
It symbolizes the resilience, fortitude, and loyalty of people to ancient values amidst a turbulent world. In the future, even when roads are wide and traffic is bustling, people will forever remember the image of those solitary horse-drawn carriages traveling beneath the shade of palm trees, leaving behind the rhythmic sound of hooves echoing through time, preserving the rich cultural identity of this border region.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/an-giang-kham-pha-thu-phu-cua-xe-ngua-vang-bong-mot-thoi-o-vung-that-son-post1094386.vnp
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