Vietnam festivals celebrate ox racing and Mekong Delta floods
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Thousands of people attended traditional festivals in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta on Sunday, celebrating both cultural heritage and the region’s annual flood season.
In An Giang Province, the 2026 Ro Pagoda Traditional Ox Racing Festival featured 32 pairs of oxen competing, drawing visitors like Truong Thi Hong Tham from Ca Mau Province, who attended for the first time. An Cu Commune officials believe the event will strengthen community bonds, preserve Khmer traditions, and boost tourism in the Seven Mountains area.
Alongside the ox races, the festival included a photo exhibition, a bicycle donation to students, and a display of local products. In Dong Thap Province, the Sac Nuoc Vung Bien festival drew crowds to a 2km embankment to celebrate the Mekong Delta’s flood season. The annual floods, occurring from August to December, are seen as beneficial, depositing fertile soil and supporting local agriculture and fisheries.
The festival in Hong Ngu Ward featured a floating market with decorated boats, boat racing, and duck-catching games. Local residents like Vo Nguyen Huy Nam and Phan Thi Hue expressed pride in the event and its promotion of local tourism and products, while also emphasizing the importance of environmental protection to maintain the health of the flood season. Organisers designed the festival to give visitors firsthand experience of rural life and the Mekong Delta's unique culture.
