Soc Trang is bustling with the Khmer boat racing festival

No one knows since when, Ngo boat racing (in Khmer, Prònăng tuuk Ngôo) has become an indispensable attractive sport in the traditional Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer people in Soc Trang.

Ngo boat racing has become a famous tourism product brand of Soc Trang. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

This year, the Ok Om Bok festival takes place from November 25-27 with the theme "Soc Trang - Aspiration to Reach Far". In addition to the rituals, the highlight of the festival is the sport activity imbued with the Khmer ethnic cultural identity - Ngo boat racing on the Maspero River.

According to Mr. Tran Minh Ly, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Soc Trang, this year's Khmer Ngo boat race took place from November 26-27 with the participation of 46 Ngo boat teams (from Bac Lieu, Ca Mau provinces and Can Tho city), including 6 female Ngo boat teams; with 2 competition events of 1,000m for women and 1,200m for men.

The ngo boat is 25-30m long and can hold 52 to 60 swimmers. The bow and stern are curved and carved in the shape of the Naga snake god. The boat body is carved with geometric patterns and painted in bright colors. This is a traditional ritual to send the water god back to the sea after the planting season. Sitting at the bow of the boat is an old man who steers the boat, while in the middle of the boat is a man who keeps the rhythm with a gong or a whistle. In ngo boat racing, steering and keeping the boat on the right track, and the rhythm of the rowing beams are the factors that determine speed. Each ngo boat usually represents a pagoda or a village.

Before the Khmer boat racing festival started, tens of thousands of people came to watch on both sides of the Maspero River, mingling with cheers and applause that made the river surface noisy. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

Although the Ok Om Bok Festival boat race has not yet started, from early morning on November 26, groups of people flocked to the boat racing grandstand area on the Maspero River embankment to witness the competition between boat teams from inside and outside the province. Many roads leading to the boat racing grandstand were packed with people and vehicles, and the provincial traffic police had to work hard to regulate traffic.

At the start of the race, when the whistle blew to signal the start, each pair of racing boats sped towards the finish line. The sound of drums and loudspeakers resounded, mixed with cheers and applause, stirring up the entire river. Hundreds of thousands of eyes watched each pair of racing boats with hundreds of strong rowers with bulging muscles, bending their bodies and swinging their oars in unison to the rhythm of the whistle and the gong, pushing the boats with their bows up, racing towards the finish line.

Each pair of racing boats has hundreds of strong rowers with bulging muscles, bending down and swinging their oars in unison to the rhythm of the whistle and the gong, pushing the boat with its bow up, competing to reach the finish line first, creating dramatic and exciting races. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

After 4 rounds of fierce and exciting competition, present on the Maspero River, preparing to compete for the championship of the Soc Trang dragon boat racing tournament in 2023, Mr. Lam Vu - athlete of the dragon boat racing team of No Ren Rang Say pagoda (Ong Kho pagoda), Chau Hung town (Thanh Tri district, Soc Trang province) shared: “Up to now, I have participated in the pagoda's boat team for 9 years. Boat racing has become ingrained in my blood, so when the racing season comes, no matter where I go, I have to return home to practice and compete. Now, all the athletes are mentally prepared, united with each other to compete well. We will together preserve and develop the traditional sport of the nation to become stronger and stronger".

Mr. Thach Duong, captain of the boat racing team at Tum Nup 2 pagoda (An Ninh commune, Chau Thanh district, Soc Trang province) shared that the boat racing is one of the most important events that the Khmer people look forward to the most in the year. Seeing the boats racing forward with loud cheers, all the fatigue suddenly disappeared. The affection of the ethnic groups became more connected and stronger. Despite the hot sun, tens of thousands of people, old and young, stood along both sides of the Maspero river, singing "Hay do do hay do mon" with great excitement and enthusiasm.

Men's final in the 1,200m event between the boat team of Tum Nup 2 pagoda and the boat team of No Ren Rang Say pagoda. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

After two days of fierce competition, in the women's category, the Tum Nup Pagoda team (An Ninh commune, Chau Thanh district, Soc Trang province) won the championship, the second place went to the O Chum Pagoda boat team (Nga Nam town, Soc Trang province). In the men's category, thanks to the enthusiastic cheers of the home audience and careful investment and training, the Tum Nup 2 Pagoda boat team (An Ninh commune, Chau Thanh district, Soc Trang province) proved to be superior and won the championship, the second place went to the No Ren Rang Say Pagoda boat team (Chau Hung town, Thanh Tri district, Soc Trang province).

Coming to Soc Trang, tourists can participate in the moon worshiping ceremony, enjoy flat rice and also watch the traditional Ngo boat race, which is deeply imprinted with the cultural traditions of the Khmer people. Coming here, tourists will know that the eagerness of the Khmer people to "Ngo boat race" has become a famous tourism product brand of Soc Trang.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/soc-trang-ron-rang-ngay-hoi-dua-ghe-ngo-dong-bao-khmer-251677.html