The Bay Nui (Seven Mountains) Ox Racing Festival is one of the major traditional festivals of the Khmer people of An Giang province and of the Southwest region as a whole. In the middle of the annual rainy season, it is also the time when the Khmer people of An Giang enter the Dolta festival, the largest traditional holiday among the holidays of the Khmer ethnic group.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Chau Doc Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: A half day (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/seven-mountain-ox-racing-festival-an-giang/
Address: Nui To commune, Tri Ton district, An Giang province.
Added values: With bold folklore identity, including the traditional bull-drawing festival, a unique cultural and sport activity in the Seven Mountain area, An Giang. The breed of bull racing in the festival is the Bay Nui bull breed…
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from ox racing festival? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Tra Su Cajuput Forest (30 km), Sam Mountain (31 Km), Cam Mountain – Forbidden Mountain (33 km), Chau Doc Floating Market (36 km), 30 Thang 4 Park in Chau Doc (36 km)…
2. Travel Guide to Ox Racing Festival
The bull racing festival in the Bay Nui region (An Giang) is held annually on the occasion of the Dolta New Year (the worship of grandparents and ancestors) of the Khmer people in the South. The traditional festival, which takes place from August 29 to September 1 of the lunar calendar every year, is a cultural activity, steeped in folk colors, and a unique sport with the meaning of remembrance and gratitude to the people of Vietnam. ancestors and merits of the deceased.
Festival Origins
On Dolta Day, Khmer people in Tinh Bien – Tri Ton (An Giang) often bring food to the temple to offer to the monks to pray for the souls of the deceased to be saved. On these holidays, young men in Phum Soc (village) bring pairs of oxen to plow the fields to help the temple. When the plowing is done, the cow owners choose pairs of oxen to compete on the fields. The field has just been plowed with water. Gradually, the custom has become a traditional sport attracting a large number of tourists to visit and watch pairs of cows compete.
Unique sports culture festival
To prepare for the bull race, people choose a flat field, about 200m in length, 100m in width with tattooed water, plowed many times by the “axle” to have the smoothness of mud, four sides with borders and points. The destination has an empty road to make a safe stop for the cows. The main track only needs 120m along the field close to the bank. The starting place is planted with 2 red and blue flags, each 5m apart, and the same goes for the destination. Any pair of cows standing in the position of any color flag, the destination point will also follow the color of that flag.
If, during the race, the pair of oxen that runs out of the track will be disqualified and the second ox that steps on the harrow of the first pair is the winner. And the operator must stand firmly if he falls or falls off the harrow to be considered as a loser. The “cow racers” are called by the locals, who will control the cows in the race. The pair of oxen must drag the harrow and the person holding it stands on it to control. Some cows are also wearing bright yellow rattles, throbbing with joyful music.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at Bull Racing Festival
In the early morning of the bull racing festival, people from all over the world come and stand in rows around the banks carrying gongs and drums, shouting and cheering for their favorite pair of cows. When the referee’s starting signal was issued, the controller held a log with a small nail attached and pricked the cow’s butt strongly, the cow was pricked with pain, so he was able to rush forward in the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd. audience, making the festival more attractive, vibrant and exciting.
The person holding the shank of the winning pair will be honored by everyone as the most “courageous” ox in the region. From the beginning to the end, the festival atmosphere is always filled with clapping, cheering and cheering for the pairs of cows fighting fiercely to reach the finish line. The splashing water with thrilling chases, along with the cheers, makes the Phum squirrels exciting and bustling.
In January 2016, the bull racing festival in the Bay Nui region was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Chau Doc city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in An Giang. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package An Giang daily tours with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Ox Racing Festival
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Ox Racing Festival by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in An Giang village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in An Giang
7. Responsible Travel and Advice Ox Racing Festival
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Ox Racing Festival (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
Best time to visit Chau Doc floating market, Long Xuyen floating market is from 5:30am-6:30am. I hope you have an amazing sunrise on the Mekong Delta river.
You can stay in a homestay which is near the floating market, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself, but you still need to hire a boat for the floating market tour.
If you plan to extend your travel to Chau Doc homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Chau Doc or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Chau Doc responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Chau Doc food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Chau Doc cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Bun Ca Chau Doc (the soft noodle is cooked with fish), Banh bo cake of Chau Doc, Sugar palm fruit, Caramelized and Braised Catfish, Grilled Rice-field Rat with Salt and Chili, Long Xuyen Broken Rice, Nui Cam Pancake, O Thum’s Chicken Grilled with Lime Leaves, Sour Soup with Siamese Mud Carp Soup & Sesbania Flower, Stir-fried Shrimp with Sesbania Flower, Phu Huong Beef Noodle Soup, Basa Fish Hotpot, Mam (Fermented Fish)…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Chau Doc in the rainy season, as Chau Doc always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Chau Doc tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Tra Su Cajuput forest & Birdwatching, Chau Doc Floating Village, Fish Farm & Cham Minority Village, Chau Doc floating market & small canal, Sam mountain, Tuc Dup hill, Chau Doc river tour, Chau Doc cycling tour, Chau Doc photography tour, Ta Pa Rice Fields, Vinh Te Canal, Seven-Mountain Ox Racing Festival, Tay An Pagoda, Chau Doc Market, The Lady Temple – The Ba Chua Xu Temple, Phuoc Dien Pagoda – Hang Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb,
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Chau Doc, An Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
