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S
everal months before the race,
the sound of oarsmen train-
ing echoes out from pagodas
all around the Mekong Delta.
Soc Trang province is home to a large
population of Khmer people, and like
all Khmer, they have a long tradition
of racing canoes called
ghe ngo
(or
tuk
ngo
in the Khmer language). The race
plays an important role in the spiritual
life of the Khmer who view the boats as
protectors of the peace and an embodi-
ment of village power.
One legend has it that a race was
first held hundreds of years ago to hon-
our the squirrels that saved some monks
by helping them get back into their pa-
goda just before a flood. Another holds
the event started as a race to retrieve
Buddhist texts from Angkor Wat. Still an-
other explanation is that ghe ngo were
a means for the people to fight off en-
emies on the river and so each pagoda
had a well-preserved boat that was also
used in an annual boat race.
With such important roles, the ghe
ngo is always kept carefully in the most
important position in the village. Khmer
people believe that during the race, ghe
ngo will bear the strength of the animal
it symbolises.
A ghe ngo is 25-30 meters long
and about a meter wide and carved
with animals and floral patterns. Typi-
cal animals chosen are dragons, tigers,
elephants and lions. Each boat is also
dedicated to a deity.
Each year, people across the Mekong Delta look
forward to the annual
ghe ngo
boat race, the
most-crowded festival on the Khmer calendar year.
FOR POWER AND
SOCIETY AT LARGE
Boats line up creating a riot of colour in front of massive crowds
timeout
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