Dolta Ceremony and Cow Racing

Dolta Ceremony is a ceremony to honor ancestors and to bless for dead soul. The ceremony is taken place from August 29th to September 1st in pagoda, each family in Khmer ethnic community in Tri Ton district or Tinh Bien district, An Giang province. And, there is cow racing in the ceremony according to the traditional form of Khmer ethnic. 


The ceremony is one of the 10 big events in Bay Nui area, which bring unique cultural nuance of people here. The local people live mainly by agriculture so cow has become the close friend with Khmer ethnic. Dolta Ceremony is held with the following ceremonies: squeezing rice ceremony, burning incense to ancestor ceremony, inviting soul ceremony, goodbye ancestor ceremony.

After the above ceremonies, Cow Racing will be held, the race place is a large area of about 60meters, a length of 170 meters, around is high berm which is also the place for audience. The racetrack on the face of field which has a length of over 100 meters, a width of 4 meters. Each race has 38 teams is chosen after qualifying races in communes. Many cows which have joined in many years so they have big head, straight back, long tail, short ear and small, round neck and nice eyes. For those who have long years of experience, two good cows are the precious properties according to both literally and figuratively, because the winner will receive 20 million VND ( $ 940.000000 ). However, the winner never sell their cows because they are the pride of the winner.

In the race, two cows will be brought a special harrow, on the teeth of harrow is a wooden plate which has a width of 30 centimeters, a length of 90 centimeters. Unlike car racing, each driver of cow racing will race in pair: one first, one behind. The driver must stand on the wooden plate as harrowing on field, if he fall, he will be lost. Nowadays, the competition form is improved better, the race will be taken place on the field of water, not on the road like before. So, the driver 's life will be safer.

Cow racing in An Giang was appeared hundreds of years ago, this event is a good chance for men to express their brave, tact with the community. In normal days, they are only normal cow drivers but they are the protagonist in the cow racing.