An Giang Province Hosts Traditional Buffalo Racing Festival, Boosting Khmer Culture

The 12th traditional buffalo racing festival at Chua Ro Pagoda, located in An Cu village, An Giang province, southern Vietnam, commenced on September 13th. This event is a traditional sporting activity deeply intertwined with the spiritual life of the Khmer community, contributing to the promotion of cultural image for An Giang province and the Bay Nui region in particular. According to the organizing committee, 32 buffalo owners from Tinh Bien, Chi Lang, Nui Cam, and An Cu districts registered to participate. Mr. Tu Luong, Director of VTV South (Vietnam Television Southern Region Center), stated at the opening ceremony that amidst the joyful atmosphere preparing for the "Sene Dolta" festival of the Khmer people in southern Vietnam, VTV South was honored to cooperate with the An Cu village People's Committee to organize this event. This buffalo race is a unique and special cultural activity for the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region. Over its 11 previous editions, it has attracted significant public interest and media attention, becoming one of the region's vibrant cultural highlights. Therefore, preserving and promoting these traditional cultural values is increasingly important. VTV South and local authorities have been diligently carrying out essential preparations to organize this meaningful festival promptly. A key highlight of this year's festival was its live broadcast for the first time on VTV9, VTV10, VTV5, VTV6, and the national digital platform VTVgo. Additionally, a "Beautiful Photo Contest" was launched, offering a platform for journalists and photography enthusiasts to capture impressive moments of the buffalo race, while also showcasing the landscapes, cultural life, people, and unique characteristics of the An Cu region to a wider audience. Most Venerable Chau K'at, Chief Monk of My A Pagoda and Deputy Head of the Provincial Buddhist Sangha Executive Council, expressed that the Chua Ro buffalo race is a distinctive cultural and sporting activity closely connected to the spiritual life of the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region of An Giang. He noted that it serves not only as an exciting sporting competition but also as an occasion for the community to preserve, transmit, and promote the beautiful traditional cultural values of the Khmer ethnic group. Through this competition, spectators can witness the spirited races and powerful strides of the buffaloes, while also deeply feeling the spirit of solidarity, neighborly bonds, and the connection between people, their homeland, fields, and the cultural heritage passed down through generations. At the race venue, a large crowd of locals and visitors from within and outside the province gathered to cheer for this unique sport. Many arrived early to secure prime viewing spots. The event proceeded with buffalo owners, also known as drivers or jockeys, guiding pairs of buffaloes onto the track. Each race involved direct elimination, requiring drivers to skillfully manage their buffaloes' energy to ensure victory in subsequent rounds. The final results saw the buffalo pair bearing number 8, steered by driver Nguyen Thanh Tung, clinch the first prize. The pair with number 28, guided by driver Nguyen Thanh Tai, secured the second prize. Information Source: Nhan Dan