Bull racing festival in An Giang

The Bay Nui Ox Racing Festival is a festival of the Khmer ethnic group in Southern Vietnam. It is rich in folk cultural identity, including the traditional ox-pulling plow racing festival, a unique cultural activity and sport in the Bay Nui region of An Giang province.

The Bay Nui Ox Racing Festival is a popular sporting and recreational event for farmers after their hard work in the fields… Experience the atmosphere of the Ox Racing Festival in An Giang through this photo series by author Duong Tran Hai. The author submitted this series to the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

The race track is a flat, rectangular field, with the track dug to a depth of about 10 cm and filled with water to a depth of 5 to 10 cm.

The breed of bulls used in the festival's races is the Bay Nui breed. The bulls race in pairs, with the person controlling the pair, also called the "driver" or "bull rider," standing on a platform holding a whip called a xalul to urge the bulls to run faster or slower.

The pair of oxen that cross the finish line first will advance to the next round and continue competing in a knockout format until only two pairs remain.

According to the "rules of the game," if a pair of oxen runs off the track or the "ox handler" falls off the plow, regardless of whether the oxen reach the finish line first, the driver loses...

On the day of the festival, tens of thousands of tourists and people of all ages and backgrounds flock to watch. Everyone tries to arrive early to choose a good viewing spot and brings their own food and drinks because the race lasts from morning until afternoon.

Each festival season, hundreds of domestic and international journalists, as well as foreign tourists, also come to attend this unique and bustling event.

To date, the Bay Nui provincial bull racing festival in An Giang has held 27 competitions.

Bull racing is not simply a race between bulls; it has become a unique custom and belief of the Khmer ethnic group. This festival is not only associated with the custom of praying for favorable weather, a bountiful harvest, and a more prosperous life, but also reflects the enthusiastic spirit of labor of the Khmer people, making the festival even more sacred and solemn.

Vietnam.vn