The lively Oóc om bóc Festival

Việt Nam•27/11/2023

STO - Every year in the tenth lunar month, Soc Trang city (Soc Trang province) is filled with the bustling and joyful atmosphere of the Ooc om boc Festival - Ngo boat racing. Having been successfully organized for many years, the festival is not only a distinctive spiritual event for the Khmer people but also an attractive destination that draws tourists from within and outside the province to visit and experience.

Amidst the vibrant and bustling atmosphere of the festival, thousands of people flocked to the center of Soc Trang city to participate in unique and exciting sightseeing and experiential activities. The opening event in the series was the first Southern Region Khmer Television Singing Festival in 2023. This activity aimed to preserve and honor the beautiful traditional cultural values, promote the cultural identity of the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam, and provide an opportunity for artisans and amateur performers in the Khmer community to meet, interact, and showcase their talents and passion for folk songs. Through this, it contributed to the preservation and safeguarding of ethnic folk songs within the community.

Lanterns and boats shimmer in vibrant colors on the Maspéro River. Photo: THIỆN HẢI

Adding to the festive atmosphere was a program featuring the release of colorful water lanterns and the reenactment of traditional Khmer boats on the Maspéro River, performed by districts, towns, and cities throughout the province. Ms. Lieu Thanh Hien from Bac Lieu province expressed great delight at experiencing this program. This was her first time admiring the water lanterns and traditional Khmer boats on the river. Thanks to the festival, Ms. Hien had the opportunity to learn about and explore the culture of the Khmer people and was truly impressed by the hospitality and friendliness of the people of Soc Trang. Therefore, next year she will invite more friends and relatives to visit and enjoy the festival.

Traditional boat racing is a highlight of the festival season. Photo: THIEN HAI

The most outstanding event in the series of Oóc om bóc Festival - Ngo Boat Race is the Ngo boat race itself, with the participation of 46 Ngo boat teams from within and outside the province. The race provided visitors with exciting experiences of a sport that has been included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and recognized by Guinness Vietnam as having the record for "the sport with the largest number of Ngo boats and athletes in Vietnam from 2005 to the present".

From the opening day of the traditional boat race (November 26th), tens of thousands of people from within and outside the province gathered along the Maspéro River embankment to watch the competitions of the boat teams in the 1,200-meter race for men and the 1,000-meter race for women. Among them were many tourists experiencing this festival for the first time. The affection of the people in the province as well as tourists from near and far has made the tournament increasingly attractive.

Numerous tourists from near and far came to watch the traditional boat race. Photo: CHI BAO

Mr. Tran Thanh Hai from Ho Chi Minh City shared: “This is a very interesting traditional sport. Watching it on TV already made me feel excited; watching it live was even more thrilling and exciting. I witnessed the swimming techniques of the athletes as well as the smooth and skillful coordination of each team member to reach the finish line and win. Spectators all have seats in the stands and can easily observe the races.”

Equally enthusiastic as the visitors from other provinces are the supporters of the participating boat racing teams, who will be very proud to witness their local teams win high prizes. Mr. Thach Thanh Nhan from Long Phu district excitedly said: “The preparations for this year's boat racing competition are thorough, the atmosphere is lively, and many people have come to cheer on the teams. I also hope the teams will compete well and bring glory to the locality.” Mr. Huu Sep from Ca Mau province found the festival atmosphere this year very lively. Having attended and cheered on the provincial teams many times, he saw that this year the number of people participating in the festival was very large. “The activities in this year's festival are very impressive to me. Joining in the lively atmosphere, I hope my province's team will win a high prize and bring glory to my hometown,” Mr. Sep shared.

Celebrating the victory. Photo: CHI BAO

During the festival, visitors can witness the moon worship ritual of the Southern Khmer people, with the participation of monks, achars, and Buddhist followers, and watch a performance of pounding flattened rice cakes. Along with these activities, many visitors from near and far can also visit and shop for agricultural products, specialties, and OCOP products from various regions at the Soc Trang OCOP and Regional Specialty Products Trade Promotion Fair. The fair brings together over 400 booths from more than 300 businesses from provinces and cities nationwide. The fair also features exhibition and sales areas for clothing, cosmetics, wooden furniture, household goods, plant seeds, and a food court with delicious Vietnamese and Thai dishes. Within the framework of the festival, visitors can also admire the largest painting in Vietnam made from ST25 rice and enjoy delicious food at the Street Food Festival, themed "Flavors of Soc Trang". At the same time, visitors can view a photo exhibition showcasing the outstanding achievements of Soc Trang province.

Meaningful activities steeped in national cultural identity, held from November 20-27, 2023, within the framework of the Oóc om bóc Festival - Ngo Boat Race in Soc Trang province this year, once again affirmed its strong appeal as one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. The unique cultural, artistic, and sporting activities of the Khmer people over the past few days have left a lasting impression on visitors, contributing to promoting the distinctive cultural beauty of the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam in general and Soc Trang province in particular.

THIEN HAI

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