This year, the Bay Nui Ox Racing Festival for the An Giang Television Cup gathered 64 pairs of excellent oxen from 10 communes and wards in An Giang province, including: Tri Ton commune, Ba Chuc commune, O Lam commune, Co To commune, Vinh Gia commune, An Cu commune, Nui Cam commune, Giang Thanh commune, Chi Lang ward and Tinh Bien ward.
Comrade Le Trung Ho, Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Racing Festival, said that the Bay Nui Bull Racing Festival originated from the traditional customs of the Khmer people, held at pagodas during the Sene Dolta festival, as a fun activity to connect the community. It is also a way to express gratitude to ancestors and pray for a bountiful harvest.
Initially, it was just a competition to plow the fields, gradually, the monks of Khmer pagodas organized for pairs of oxen to race against each other on the fields around the pagoda, the prize for the winning pair of oxen was a prestigious bell. Over the years, from a folk game of community nature, the Ox Racing Festival has gradually been organized more widely and systematically. Up to now, the Bay Nui Ox Racing Festival has become a unique sports and cultural event, at the provincial level, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, associated with the image of the Bay Nui region, becoming the pride of the people of An Giang.
Through 29 times of organization, Bay Nui Bull Racing Festival has contributed to preserving and promoting the unique cultural values of the Khmer people, promoting the sports movement, creating a playground for solidarity and cohesion among ethnic groups, and at the same time promoting the image of a peaceful and hospitable An Giang to domestic and foreign friends.
Some images recorded at the 30th Bay Nui Bull Racing Festival for the An Giang Television Cup (ATV), 2025:
Source: https://cand.com.vn/Chuyen-dong-van-hoa/tranh-tai-kich-tinh-tai-hoi-dua-bo-bay-nui-o-an-giang-i781925/
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