Tra Vinh: Ao Ba Om historical site

There are several different explanations for the name Ao Ba Om. One version suggests that in the past, the area around the pond was covered with coriander, a fragrant herb used to season sour soup, also known as "rau ma om," hence the name Ao Ma Om, which gradually transformed into Ao Ba Om. Another version claims that the name Ba Om is a phonetic variation of the name Prah Ang, meaning Ang Pagoda. Yet another version suggests that Ba Om is the name of a married couple, Ong Luy and Ba Om… However, the following legend is more widely known.

In the past, during the dry season, fresh water became scarce in this region, causing many difficulties for the inhabitants. Furthermore, in Khmer society, there was a dispute between men and women about who should marry whom, leading to a competition to dig ponds to resolve this issue.

As per regulations, one day at sunset, the men's and women's groups arrived at the site to begin construction. The women dug a pond on the east side, and the men dug a pond on the west side. The two ponds, approximately 2,000 meters apart, were also known as Kù-Bros (Men's Pond) and Kù-Srây (Women's Pond).

According to the rules of the competition, digging the pond would end when the morning star rose. During the competition, the women, under the leadership of Lady Om, had someone cut a long bamboo pole and plant it in a high mound of earth, hanging a lamp at the top to deceive the men. The men, seeing the lamp, thought the morning star had risen and stopped digging, while the women continued digging until dawn. As a result, the women's pond was wider and deeper than the men's, and they won. To honor this woman, the pond was named after her – Lady Om's Pond.

Although the story contains supernatural and mythical elements, it bears the strong imprint of Khmer culture. Through the legend of the custom of men marrying women, it marks a stage in Khmer society's development, transitioning from a matriarchal to a patriarchal system. The work also demonstrates the indomitable spirit of the working people of the past, in their struggle against nature and in improving their lives.

The unique features of the Ao Ba Om scenic area are not only created by nature but also by the combination of nature and human labor. The entire Ao Ba Om area covers more than 18 hectares, of which the pond itself has a surface area of 42,040 m2. Surrounding the pond are sandy banks of varying heights and widths; along the banks are more than 500 oil palm and star trees, including ancient ones, creating a distinctive and attractive feature. Particularly, over time, many of these ancient trees have exposed their roots, a unique and captivating sight that attracts many visitors.

Every year, on the 14th and 15th of Ka-dak (December) in the Khmer calendar, which is approximately the 14th and 15th of October in the Vietnamese lunar calendar, the Ok-Om-Bok festival (the festival of offering flattened rice cakes or the moon worship festival) of the Khmer people takes place at Ao Ba Om.

The Ok-Om-Bok festival attracts tens of thousands of people from all over to Ao Ba Om to visit, admire the scenery, participate in folk games, enjoy traditional art performances, view exhibitions, and worship the moon.

On July 20, 1994, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) issued Decision No. 921-QD/BT classifying Ao Ba Om as a national monument of the scenic landscape type.