In the near future, on September 13th, the 12th An Cu Pagoda Traditional Cattle Racing Festival will take place, competing for the VTV Cup 2026.
According to An Cu Commune People's Committee, the Ro Pagoda Bull Racing Festival is a traditional cultural and sports activity associated with the spiritual life of the Khmer people in Bay Nui region, An Giang province. The festival is organized to contribute to preserving, conserving and promoting the good traditional cultural values of the Khmer people.
After 11 times of organization, the Ro Pagoda Bull Racing Festival is increasingly attracting the attention of the people, tourists and media agencies, becoming one of the unique cultural and sports activities of the locality.
Through activities, it also contributes to promoting the image of the Ro Pagoda Bull Racing Festival, Khmer culture and An Cu land to a large number of audiences and tourists inside and outside the province. The Organizing Committee also wishes to introduce the beauty of traditional culture, community solidarity and the image of friendly and affectionate An Cu people; and at the same time promote the cultural and tourism potential and typical products of the locality.
The Commune People's Committee also wishes to promote the traditional cultural values of the Khmer people, and at the same time link cultural and sports activities with tourism development and promote the image of An Cu commune. This is also an activity contributing to the goal of preserving cultural heritage, developing community tourism, promoting typical products and promoting socio-economic development of the locality.
Besides the main activity of the Bull Racing Festival, there is also the Beautiful Photography Contest, to create a playground for photographers, reporters and photography enthusiasts to record beautiful and impressive images and moments of the Bull Racing Festival; and at the same time introduce the landscape, cultural life, people and characteristics of An Cu land.
Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, Chairman of the An Giang Provincial Tourism Association, shared: The bull racing festival is a very unique cultural feature of the Bay Nui region, associated with the working life, beliefs and Sene Dolta Festival of the Khmer people. The uniqueness lies not only in the exciting racing rounds, skillful bull driving techniques, but also in the phum soc space, Khmer pagoda and seedling planting activities after the race. Thereby expressing the spirit of community solidarity, ancestor gratitude and the desire for a good harvest. The Bay Nui bull racing festival has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage since 2016.
From a tourism perspective, festivals are a very good opportunity to promote the image of an An Giang rich in identity, friendly and experienced. If connected with visiting Khmer pagodas, exploring the Bay Nui landscape, enjoying cuisine, OCOP products and experiencing community life, festivals will contribute to attracting tourists, extending stays and creating more livelihoods for local people," Mr. Huy expressed.
The An Giang Provincial Tourism Association expects businesses to build comprehensive experience programs associated with the festival; and at the same time promote communication through images, videos and multilingual cultural stories, preserving originality. How to make the bull racing festival not only bustling for one day but also become a unique tourism mark of An Giang," Mr. Huy emphasized.
