Contestants prepare their oxen for an ox cart race in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. - Xinhua
KAMPONG SPEU, Cambodia (Xinhua): At dawn on Sunday (April 7), Cambodian villagers gathered to race their ox carts across a field, reviving centuries-old tradition in the South-East Asian nation.
Held in Samraong Tong district's Prey Rumduol village, some 40 km west of the capital Phnom Penh, contenders raced their carts pulled by two oxen in a 1,300-meter dirt track, as hundreds of spectators enthusiastically watched and cheered on the winners of the race.
Chhim Mao, a 40-year-old ox cart racer, said this annual event not only safeguarded the old-age tradition, but also created a joyful atmosphere for locals ahead of the traditional Lunar New Year, which is always celebrated in mid-April.
"I have affection for this ox cart race since I was a child," he told Xinhua. "This is a Cambodian tradition since ancient times, and it has been passed from older generations to younger generations."
Contestants race their ox carts in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. - Xinhua
Mao, who has taken part in this ox cart racing event for many times, observed that the event has gained wider support from year to year, as more oxen have been taken for the race and more people came to watch it.
Siek Sothea, a 39-year-old spectator of the races, said it was an amazing event, as some of the oxen were beautifully adorned with headgear and small bells around their necks.
"This is the first time I watched it, and I liked it because when watching these ox cart races, I feel happy and this is also our tradition since ancient times," she told Xinhua.
"I would like to encourage more people to join this ox cart racing event in order to prevent this tradition from disappearing and pass it to our children and grandchildren," Sothea added.
Sun Meanchey, director of the Kampong Speu Provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts, said 50 pairs of oxen were brought to participate in this year's race, up from 38 pairs last year.
"The event is to preserve and safeguard this ox cart racing tradition from extinction," he told Xinhua.
Contestants race their ox carts in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. - Xinhua
According to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the event was aimed at preserving, promoting and developing the ox cart racing tradition, which was left by the ancestors since ancient times.
Ox carts were used to carry dowries and elderly people in wedding ceremonies or other festivals in ancient times. Villagers later initiated ox cart races to mark the traditional Lunar New Year, the ministry said.
Ox carts are on the brink of disappearance since people turn to more modern modes of transport such as trucks, tractors and motorized rickshaws. - Xinhua
