Exciting Bay Nui bull racing festival in An Giang

On September 21, at Ta Pa - Soai Check Sports and Tourism Area (Nui To commune, Tri Ton district, An Giang province), the 18th traditional bull racing festival of Tri Ton district took place, on the occasion of the Sene Dolta festival of the Khmer ethnic people.

This year's bull racing festival has 38 pairs of bulls from communes and towns with Khmer ethnic people living in Tri Ton district participating.

The race was intense as the pairs of oxen competed with each other bit by bit. Photo: An Giang Newspaper

From early morning, despite the heavy rain, many people inside and outside the district and tourists flocked to Tri Ton District Bull Racing Ground to cheer for the race.

The bull racing format is to draw lots to select each pair and arrange them in order.

The race consists of two rounds: Round one is called the “ho” round, this is the round to “warm up” the cow before officially entering the racetrack. Round two is the “release” round, when reaching the starting point, the driver uses a whip to stimulate the cow’s buttocks and the cow begins to use all its strength to rush to the finish line...

In Khmer belief, the winning pair of oxen brings joy and luck to the whole village for a bountiful harvest. After the race, the Khmer keep the winning pair of oxen as a precious asset to the family and the village.

After the knockout matches, the Organizing Committee selected the pairs of oxen that won the First, Second, Third, Fourth prizes and 4 Consolation prizes to participate in the 29th An Giang Television Cup in 2024 on September 29 in Tinh Bien district.

The pair of cows sprinted to the finish line. Photo: An Giang Newspaper

The traditional Bay Nui bull racing festival in Tri Ton district is an annual activity, bearing the strong imprint of Khmer culture in the South. In 2016, the Bay Nui bull racing festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The Vu

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/soi-noi-hoi-dua-bo-bay-nui-o-an-giang-post313326.html