The Ngo (Khmer boat) race of 62 troupes, including 12 troupes of females, is part of the Ok Om Bok Festival (Source: VNA) Soc Trang (VNA) — Thetraditional Ngo (Khmer boat) race is set to close the six-day Ok Om Bok Festival in theMekong Delta province of Soc Trang on November 3 night.
The boat race is a highlight of the festival, which is held by the Khmer peopleto give thanks for the year’s harvests.
The race has attracted 62 troupes, including 12 troupes of females, from theprovinces of Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Kien Giang, An Giang, Bac Lieu andCa Mau.
More than 500 Khmer are participating in the race,the largest number ever.
“This year we have two troupes with 150 racers from My Tu district. We spentmore than 200 million VND on building and upgrading boats, each 20-30 metreslong,” said Hoang Luy, trainer of the Bung Kok Temple Troupe, one of the twotroupes from My Tu.
“We hope our boats will finish first at the final race tonight,” he added.
The three-day race is among dozens of cultural performances and traditionalgames held during the festival, one of the three largest Khmer festivals in SocTrang.
Many professional and amateur artisans and sports people in the region haveparticipated in this year’s event.
Artists in traditional clothes from other ethnic groups have also performed ina wide variety of cultural shows, music presentations, and sport activities.
“We hope Vietnamese and foreign visitors will learn more about Khmer art andculture at the festival,” said Pham Van Dau, Deputy Director of the province’sDepartment of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a member of the festival’sorganising board.
The Soc Trang Food Festival and Trade, Exhibition and Tourism Trade was held lastweek, featuring 487 stalls displaying local products in agriculture,handicrafts and processed food from more than 200 domestic companies andenterprises in the area.
The food festival featured traditional dishes originating from the King, andthe Hoa and Khmer peoples. Both events attracted several thousand visitors.
One of the highlights of the event was the Du Ke Theatre Festival 2017 thatbegan on November 1. It introduced Du Ke, a unique style of musical theatrecreated by the Khmer in the region. Local farmers in Tra Vinh who love singingoriginated Du Ke around 1920.
“Through our outdoor shows, we hope young people can learn more abouttraditional arts and discover how rich their country’s culture is, and alsolearn lessons about life, love and people,” said veteran actress Thach Thi Haof the Anh Binh Minh Traditional Art Troupe of Tra Vinh.-VNA
VNA
