Mud, rain and racing Oxen draw thousands to Vietnam festival
Key Takeaways
- Thousands watched the traditional ox races despite heavy rain.
- Thirty-two pairs competed in waterlogged rice paddies.
- Nguyen Thanh Tung steered the number 8 pair to victory.z
Thirty-two pairs of oxen raced through waterlogged paddies in An Giang as crowds gathered for a tradition linked to the Khmer community’s Sene Dolta Festival.
Pairs of oxen charged through muddy rice paddies in Vietnam’s An Giang province on Sunday as thousands gathered for the 2026 Chua Ro, or Ro Pagoda, Ox Racing Festival.
The traditional competition took place in An Cu commune, where spectators packed the sidelines despite heavy rain.
Pairs of white oxen, decorated with Khmer scarves around their horns, raced across waterlogged paddies, sending mud and water into the air as their handlers competed for victory.
"This is my second time attending, and I find the atmosphere very lively, the scale of the event is large and exciting. The bulls competed fiercely, and despite the heavy rain, spectators waited patiently until the very end. It was a lot of fun," said a visitor from Can Tho.
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Participant Nguyen Thanh Tung claimed first prize after steering the number 8 pair to victory.
"I've been training [with my bulls] for two months now. When I came here, I saw many strong competing teams, so I had to strive to compete against them. My bulls performed very well today, and I'm very happy that they won the championship," he said.
The annual ox racing event is connected to the Khmer community’s Sene Dolta Festival. This year’s competition brought together 32 pairs of oxen from across the Bay Nui, or Seven Mountains, region.
Locals and tourists travelled to Chua Ro to watch the races, which form part of the region’s Khmer cultural celebrations.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
