Ghe Ngo Boat Race Festival in Soc Trang: The Khmers used Ghe Ngo boats to navigate rivers and evade predators. The communication problem was also resolved by the canal. The strategies employed in the ethnic war and other battles pushed the boats to get quicker over time. Ghe Ngo boats were designed for evasion or swift assault. Consequently, the boat became an indispensable component of life for those from these regions.
History of Ghe Ngo Boat Race Festival in Soc Trang
The Ngo boat race’s origins are the subject of several urban legends. One claims that Princess Neng Chanh defied the king’s orders. She jumped into the boat and made an attempt to flee via the river when he planned to punish her. At the king’s command, troops apprehended her and put her to death. An annual race is held to remember this occasion.
According to another legend, Buddhist monks traveled by waterway to reach their temples since it was difficult or dangerous to go on land. Initially, rafts were made of bamboo, and later on, a form of TukNgo boat was made by carving wood. The custom of boat racing was started as a result of a competition to carry monks more quickly.
The Khmers say that the boat race took place in Pem Kon Thô (now Vàm Dù Tho), a district of Mỹ Xuyên in the province of Sóc Trăng. Ghe Ngo boats from Bạc Liêu, Kiên Giang, and Trà Vinh gathered at an area where the river was broad and the water ran peacefully to compete against one another. There, because of the straightness of the river and the tranquil flow of the water, Ghe Ngo boats from the Bc Liêu and Kiên Giang areas had a relatively simple mission. Later, as the area grew more populous and busy with commerce, the race shifted from Vàm Tho to the Ompuyea River, or Nhu Gia, in the municipality of Thạnh Phú, Mỹ Xuyên District. Boat associations have reportedly existed for a very long time (from around 1528 according to the solar calendar and 2071 according to the Buddhist calendar), which corresponds to the reign of the first monarch An Chanh. The people of the historic nation of Ba Sac had this custom (now Soc Trang).
The Khmers were compelled to move the race to the Om Puie river during the French colonial era (today’s river Nhu Gia in the municipality of Thạnh Phú, Mỹ Xuyên District, in the province of Sóc Trăng). However, races were occasionally held in Kinh Sáng in Sóc Trăng City (1972–1974). Up until the early 1980s, races were held on the Nhu Gia River after achieving independence. The race was, however, formally shifted to the Maspéro River in the heart of the provincial capital of Soc Trang due to the size of the project.
Ghe Ngo Boat Race Festival in Soc Trang
Rules of Ghe Ngo Boat Race Festival in Soc Trang
Originally, the Ghe Ngo was a boat fashioned entirely out of a tree trunk, but nowadays it is hard to acquire such big, long trees, thus boards are used instead. The Ghe Ngo boat is about 25 and 30 meters long and 1.1 to 1.2 meters broad in the center. The front (head) of the boat is elevated in order for it to resemble a snake; nevertheless, the back rises even higher (tail). Along the full length of the boat, there are 24 to 27 seats for two persons. There must be room on each boat for 40 to 60 people.
Long wooden beams are fastened along the middle of the boat to reinforce it. Hardwood beams with a typical diameter of 0.2 m are required. Each boat has two eyes located at the bow to search for the best and safest route. Every boat used for transport or fishing in the area has these indicators, and although the Ngo boat is just used for competitions, it too has those eyes.
Each boat has a distinctive emblem that serves as a hallmark and makes it easy to recognize and remember the boat. Frequently, this emblem alludes to the custom of each temple and is also meant to represent the might of a racing boat. Because they stand for strength, speed, or endurance, animals (such as a bird, a tiger, or a snake) are frequently used as symbols.
The NGO boats belong to the temples. Every community has a unique temple. Inside the temple, behind a special canopy, NGO boats are kept.
Special rituals are held in conjunction with every action the boat does. Everything has its own distinct sequence and ceremony, from the start of building to the boat’s launch, ceremonial movement, and storage. The Ngo boat is likewise regarded as sacred by the Khmers in accordance with the idea of “all spiritual things.” The boat launch ceremony that occurs before the race is one of the most significant phases. It includes participants from the temple’s community as well as competitors (pagoda). On the carpet in front of the boat, gifts are brought and laid out, and the Master of Ceremonies also lights incense. Music is played throughout, sometimes with lyrics created especially for the occasion. According to Khmers, Neng Khmau is the Ngo boat’s patron (Neng Teo). After the music stops, the priest bows before the sacrifices and starts to ask the boat for forgiveness. The three times-repeated prayers are followed by the symbolic application of coconut oil to the boat and lubrication of the heads of the participants who vow to work together to win the race. Music is played while the boat is carried through the procession to the river.
The boat is long and has an upward-bent front and back, making it simple to lose balance and flip over. Therefore, the players exercise on land before putting the boat in the water in order to establish the necessary work rhythm and, more importantly, to master movement synchronization. The contestant must practice according to the time allotted on the boat and be in good health. So exercises on land are followed by practice on a wooden platform in a pond or river, and only after perfecting the moves and team cooperation is a boat trial conducted.
The teams swim 1200 meters in the male team and 1000 meters in the female team in two contests. In recent years, the winning team received a prize of more than 100 million VND.
Ghe Ngo Boat Race Festival in Soc Trang
Current status
The Oc om bóc Festival, which takes place in Sóc Trăng, in the south of Vietnam, includes Ghe Ngo Boat Racing. Numerous culturally significant activities are held during the Festival, such as moon worship rituals and lamp-releasing ceremonies, but the boat races are by far the most well-known and well-attended. Numerous Ngo boat teams from the surrounding area attend the festival every year to compete.
The first Ghe Ngo boat races happened in Nhu Gia, followed by Kinh Xáng – Sóc Trăng Town and back at Nhu Gia. The Ghe Ngo boat race was held at Sóc Trăng, nevertheless, in order to give a growing number of spectators the chance to see the competition in more pleasant settings and with the prospect of lodging. The event now takes place there.
In 2018, 51 boat teams from the provinces of Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, Cà Mau, Hậu Giang, and Vĩnh Long competed in the race, down from 62 teams in 2017 (50 male teams and 12 female teams). Nearly 100,000 people traveled to Sóc Trăng in 2018 to take part in the Festival and witness the Ngo b.oat races in various provinces (such as Vĩnh Long, Hậu Giang, Bạc Liêu, and Cà Mau). In the race in 2019, 60 Ghe Ngo boats took part. In Cambodia, Singapore, China, and Thailand, boats also take part in international contests and performances
Importance of Ghe Ngo Boat Race Festival in Soc Trang
Each boat is constructed by members of a particular pagoda and competes on the sea in its honor. Therefore, the success or failure of the pagoda and its constituents is also the success or failure of that group.
One of the key components that aid boats in success is spirituality.
A significant festival that takes place in Sóc Trăng, in the south of Vietnam, includes the traditional boat racing for the Khmers known as Ghe Ngo. The continuation of this tradition is evidence of the distinctive cultural traces that the Khmers have been cultivating for many generations. It also demonstrates the community’s attachment to and loyalty to their culture as well as the coexistence of three ethnic groups: Vietnamese, Khmer, and Chinese. The Ngo Boat Festival and races are key components that bring this community together and enable the development of peaceful ties between various groups.
Rice has been grown by the Khmers for a very long period. Due to the regular natural catastrophes, such as wind, rain, or floods, it was not an easy process. The Óc-om-bóc ceremonial, therefore, signified the celebration of the rice harvest on lunar days when the wind and rain stop and the water gradually recedes, beginning the dry season after long, arduous working days. Despite the fact that individuals are quite busy at work, they make time to practice for events that are significant to them since they showcase the local culture and allow for the continuation of long-standing traditions. The moon ritual, also known as Óc-om-bóc, has been observed annually since ancient times on the day of the full moon of the tenth lunar month in the Khmer calendar. The moon brings people joy, thus this is a significant festival. It had the feel of a family holiday, complete with a serious lunch and well wishes, but it also had a social vibe since it provided a venue for amusement and a possibility for sporting rivalry.
Through this historic sport, the desire to uphold tradition supports social cohesion and fosters cultural identity. Boat races, rope pulling tug-of-war, and martial arts drills were all arranged, as were performances. The two most favored aspects of this occasion are the Ngo boat racing and performing arts. Boats undergo extensive renovation, restoration, and occasionally rebuilding before the competition. On the day of the competition, both men and women attend the festival dressed festively to take part in this one-of-a-kind activity, the Ngo boat racing.
The festival includes a variety of activities in addition to the Ngo boat race, which is its main draw. These activities include a moon worship ceremony, the restoration of the Cà Mau boat, exhibitions, festivals of cuisine and sports, competitions, shows of music and dance, plays, and scientific conferences.
Ghe Ngo Racing Festival had a regional character beginning in 2013, but since 2017 the Óc-om-bóc festival and the Ngo Soc Trang boat races have been under the management of the Ministry of Culture, Sport, and Tourism of Vietnam. This has allowed for better organization and proper preparation of competition tracks on the river for Ghe Ngo boats.
