The dazzling Moon River festival at night.

Within the framework of the 6th Oóc Om Bóc Festival – Soc Trang Ngo Boat Race in the Mekong Delta and the 1st Soc Trang Culture, Sports and Tourism Week in 2024, on the evening of November 12th, on the Maspero River (also known as Nguyet Giang or Trang River) – the section between Bridge C247 (Cua Quay Bridge) and Bridge 20/4 (Cao Bridge), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Soc Trang province organized the Loiprotip (water lantern release) competition, water lantern performance and Ca Hau boat parade.

The unique lantern-releasing ceremony

Regarding the ritual of releasing water lanterns, according to Buddhist legend, the Khmer people of Soc Trang organize the release of water lanterns on the river to worship the footprints of the Buddha left behind on the Na Mi Thi River or to create a model of the Mo La Mu Ni stupa – where the Buddha's hair is kept in the heavens.

The boats, brightly lit, shimmered on the river.

This ritual signifies the Buddha descending to earth to bless all beings, while the people apologize to the Earth God and Water God for being defiled by the year's agricultural production.

Releasing lanterns on the water symbolizes the sanctification of water sources and reflects a cultural nuance. It also reflects the unique characteristics of rice-farming civilization, closely intertwined with nature.

The ritual of releasing lanterns during the Oóc Om Bóc festival is a way for people to express their gratitude to nature, specifically to the Water God and the Earth God.

Through this ritual, people want to remember the blessings of nature that have protected them, allowing them to live and work peacefully, and to wish for good fortune in the coming year.

A brightly decorated boat.

In the old days, each family would make simple water lanterns using banana stalks and leaves, attaching a few pennant flags, and placing candles, incense sticks, and offerings such as fruit, sweets, rice, and salt around them. They would then float them down the river after performing the ritual of offering flattened rice cakes.

Over time, the ritual of releasing lanterns on the water is less frequently performed at home and is instead organized collectively at temples.

At this time, the water lantern is framed like a palanquin out of wood, and offerings such as rice, fish sauce, salt, meat, and fruit are placed on top, considered as offerings to thank the Earth God and the Water God.

After the moon worship ceremony, the lanterns are carried around the village or temple grounds, escorted by the Sa-dăm drum dance troupe and villagers, before being placed in front of the temple.

Colorful water lanterns.

Next, the monks bring incense and candles to place in the water lanterns and perform the lantern-releasing ritual with chants by the Achar expressing gratitude to the moon, the Earth God, and the Water God.

Afterward, everyone carries their lanterns to the pond in the temple or a canal or stream near the temple to release them to float downstream.

Cultural Colors

Today, the rituals and offerings on the water lanterns remain the same as in the past. The only difference is the form: the rafts and palanquins are now modeled after the architecture of the main halls of Khmer temples and pagodas, and are decorated brightly and lavishly with flowers, glossy cellophane, and strings of colorful flashing lights, adding to the aesthetic appeal, vibrancy, and shimmering beauty of the water lanterns on the water's surface.

On the Maspero River on the evening of November 12th, alongside the shimmering lanterns, there were also uniquely shaped Ca Hau boats, attracting the attention of tourists from near and far.

That's a pretty lamp.

According to the elders, the Ca Hau boat (also known as Ka Hau) is understood to be a ceremonial boat, a type of dugout canoe used by high-ranking monks to chant scriptures, and by senior monks, venerable monks, and influential people to sit and direct the teams competing in Ngo boat races.

The Cà Hâu boat was also used to transport food, water, musical instruments, and other supplies to support the Ngo boat team in races.

The boats are made from hollowed-out tree trunks. Each boat has a different size, depending on the tree trunk used to make it. Boats are usually 15-20 meters long and 1.5-2 meters wide.

The bow of the Cà Hâu boat is similar to that of the Ngo boat, with a curved, upward-pointing shape, but it is wider and more robust. A rudder is attached to the stern of the boat to assist the oarsman in steering.

Like the Ngo boat, the Ca Hau boat is decorated with many motifs and patterns characteristic of the Khmer people. The people chosen to perform this task are usually skilled hands with many years of experience and a deep understanding of traditional culture.

The entire stretch of river was filled with lights…

The Ca Hau boat represents the aesthetic vision of each temple. Therefore, the boat is often decorated with symbolic images of the temple.

The process of decorating a Ca Hau boat typically takes from 20 days to a month. Every detail is meticulously crafted by the artisan.

Today, the Ca Hau boat not only holds unique cultural value in the spiritual life of the Khmer people, but is also considered a symbol of prosperity and abundance in the locality.

Every Ngo boat racing season, the Ca Hau boats are brought out, decorated, and refurbished, along with the water lights illuminating the entire Maspero River in Soc Trang City, leaving tourists mesmerized.

The lamps are quite elaborately decorated.

Since 2016, the Ca Hau boat has been featured in the annual Ooc Om Boc Festival – the Ngo boat race of Soc Trang province.

Among these, the Ca Hau boat of Tum Nup Pagoda (An Ninh commune, Chau Thanh district) is the oldest boat.

According to the temple's representative, this boat was ordered from Laos in 1802 and transported to the temple via the Mekong River…

Locals of Soc Trang and tourists admire the lanterns…

The 6th Oóc Om Bóc Festival – Soc Trang Ngo Boat Race, Mekong Delta region, and the 1st Soc Trang Culture, Sports & Tourism Week in 2024 will take place over 7 days (from November 9th to 15th) in Soc Trang City with many activities, such as: culture and sports; tourism promotion; Ngo boat race; moon worship ceremony; trade promotion fair, street food …

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/lung-linh-dem-hoi-song-trang-192241112205903916.htm