The bull racing festival at Ro Pagoda before the start of the competition.

On the afternoon of September 23rd, one day before the "Bull Racing Festival at Ro Pagoda" in An Cu commune, Tinh Bien town, An Giang province, monks and many Buddhists were busy completing the final preparations for the festival to be held tomorrow morning (September 24th).

This year's bull racing festival at Ro Pagoda features 26 pairs of bulls from Tinh Bien town and Tri Ton district, competing in a knockout format based on a draw. The grand prize is up to 10 million VND.

Nun Chau Oanh Na dug the ground to drive stakes into the ground to hang Buddhist flags as decorations around the race track area.

The final preparations are underway for the 9th Ro Pagoda Bull Racing Festival, celebrating Sene Dolta in 2023.

For the local Khmer people, the Ro Pagoda bull racing festival has become a unique cultural event leading up to the sacred Sen Dolta festival.

According to the Khmer people's beliefs, the pair of oxen from the village that wins the top prize will bring much joy and good fortune to that village and herald a bountiful harvest.

The head monk of Ro Chau Soc Khonl Pagoda said, "This is a traditional festival of the pagoda that has been maintained for many years. Every year, during the Sene Dolta festival, the pagoda cooperates with the People's Committee of Tinh Bien town to organize a traditional, healthy, and beneficial playground for Buddhist followers."

Some Buddhists also came to sweep and clean the temple grounds in preparation for the festival to be held tomorrow.

Some children also came to watch the preparations.

The Ro Pagoda bull racing festival is a unique cultural and sporting event of the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region (Tri Ton district, Tinh Bien town) during the Sen Dolta festival (ancestor worship ceremony). In recent years, Ro Pagoda (An Cu commune, Tinh Bien town) has organized the bull racing festival right on the pagoda's rice field with the support of local leaders, photographers, and others.

The Rô Tịnh Biên pagoda (An Cư commune, Tịnh Biên town, An Giang province). Tịnh Biên is a mountainous, border town with the largest Khmer ethnic minority population in An Giang province.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/hoi-dua-bo-chua-ro-truoc-gio-khoi-tranh-20230923193351890.htm