The biggest race festival in Mekong Delta

Name of festival: Bull racing Festival
Location: Bảy Núi area (Seven mountains), An Giang Province, Vietnam
Time: From the 29th August to 1st September in lunar calendar.

Bull race is The Bảy Núi Bull Run taking place during a chain of events in celebration of the Dolta festival is a traditional ritual of the Khmer ethnic minority to commemorate the merits of their ancestors and wish for happiness and peace for their souls. Not only an annual cultural festival but it’s also a sporting event of Khmer people in An Giang Province, which is considered as the biggest festival of the year in the Mekong River Delta region, attracting a large number of local people and visitors.

An Giang’s attractions - Why An Giang should be in tourist’s bucket list for Vietnam travel? 

An Giang is located west of the Mekong Delta between the Tien Giang and Hau Giang Rivers and shares a 95-km border with Cambodia. Being likened as a miniature region of the southwest of Vietnam, An Giang enchants visitors with its peaceful landscapes, the diversity of food and friendly, hospitable residents. Besides the opportunity to behold an interesting festival, , tourists will also have a chance to explore the beauty of colourful and diverse scenery from melaleuca forest to historical destinations or enjoy local specialty:
-    Trà Sư Cajuput Forest: The forest spreads over 850 ha in Tinh Bien district. It is the diverse ecosystem that symbolizes An Giang beauty in floating seasons. Endless green carpets of water hyacinth and enjoyable singing of birds are expected to be lasting experiences in the heart of the tourists.

-    Binh Thien Lake: This lake is especially attractive in floating seasons when the green color of waterhyacinth dominates the area. Visitors can drop in Cham village surrounding the lake to see its old cultural identities.

-    The paddy fields in Ta Pa mountain: During floating seasons, borderless rice fields in Ta Pa, Tri Ton district appears as a giant carpet decorated with green paddy fields and Borassus flabellifer rocketing into the blue sky.

-    Chau Doc floating village: It is this floating village that is considered as a unique tourist attraction as well as a special cultural identity of the village. Boats and dinghies are the major means of transportation here.

-    That Son mountains range (or Seven mountains): Cam Mountain – the highest one of That Son area, is 705 meters high, 28.600 meters in perimeter and has magnificent views.

Bull race festival’s history

The festival began long ago, each year, in transplanting season as Khmer farmers took their cows to plow pagodas’ fields. After farm working, they called for each other to bring a pairs of bulls into a race of drawing rake. At first, the competition was simply for fun, but afterward, it became a routine and was hold by the head bonze of the pagoda. Since then, bull- running in Bảy Núi region has become an annual traditional festival that has attracted thousands of tourists.

About the festival 

Visiting An Giang in the last days of August (lunar calendar), tourists will be amazed by the animated and exciting atmosphere pervaded the whole area. Women prepare offerings and decorate the house for Dolta festival, whilst men pick out the strongest and fastest ox for the race.

For the racetrack, the organizers choose a muddy and slippery field which is 200m length and 100m wide, but the main racetrack is only 120m length. Each pair of ox will be put a special yoke on. The controllers hold a rod or a round stick of wood added with a pin- called ‘xalul’. When the starting order is raced, the bull controller sting the xa-lul strongly into the bull’s hip, the bull is hurtled and run fast to the front. It is important to sting equally into the hip of the both bulls to maintain the fastest speed. If any pair runs out of the race path, they would be excluded from the race; or if any pair which steps on the yoke frame of the other will be the winner; and of course, if any pairs reach the finish line first, they will also win.

Right from the beginning till the end, the festival is always pervaded by cheering, shouting and clapping, an atmosphere of excitement. If you are a traveler seeking for new experience in a different culture, definitely you should not miss this one of a kind festival for an unforgettable memory.

For the community in Bảy Núi area, bull running has a special meaning to local people. The prize not only brings happiness and good luck to the bull owner, but also to the whole community. They believe that, in the year of the winning, the villagers will be healthful and have bumper crops.