Horsemen from ethnic groups living on Bac Ha plateau in the northernmountainous province of Lao Cai will gather at the annual horserace festival on June 8.
The horse race has existedin the mind of Bac Ha people as a myth and became a unique traditionalculture of the "white plateau".
According to Vang VanHoang, a local resident, in the old days, when immense forests wereadorned with white plum and apricot flowers, local people flocked to theHoang A Tuong edifice to see the horse race.
Duringthe competition, which usually takes place at the foot of Ba Me ConMount, the horsemen in well-fitting dress are ready to gallop when ashot signals the start of the race.
Approaching thefinish line, they jump down off their horses, fire five shots insuccession, take the red ball, hop back onto their horses and return tothe start line.
The traditional form of ridingwithout a saddle makes the race more interesting with spectacularperformances. The man who has the fastest horse and obtains the mostgoals is the winner.
During wartime, the race was absent for many years as horsemen went to the battlefield to protect national independence.
In the spring of 1980, a horse race held by the Bac Ha MilitaryCommand gathered more than 50 jockeys from villages across the district.
Twenty-seven years later, the horse race wasofficially restored as part of cultual activities in response to theannual tourism development cooperation programme between eightnorthwestern provinces.
More and more visitors havecome to Bac Ha to taste the unique festival, which saw the number ofvisitors in 2012 doubling the 2009 figure to 30,000.
Therestoration of the festival aims to meet cultural and spiritual demandsof local ethnic groups, helping preserve their special cultural values,said Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Bac Ha People's Committee.
Vang Van Huynh, who excelled in last year's race, said only whensitting on horseback, can he and his fellow riders show off theircourage handed down from their ancestors.
As a racedesigned for “barefoot cavaliers”, who have been friends of horses sincethey were born, the festival has become an attraction for both domesticand international tourists.
Joining this year'sfestival, visitors will have a chance to join in the exciting andanimated atmosphere with a host of activities such as traditionaldances, cuisine festival, farm produce market, and eco-tourismprogrammes.-VNA
The horse race has existedin the mind of Bac Ha people as a myth and became a unique traditionalculture of the "white plateau".
According to Vang VanHoang, a local resident, in the old days, when immense forests wereadorned with white plum and apricot flowers, local people flocked to theHoang A Tuong edifice to see the horse race.
Duringthe competition, which usually takes place at the foot of Ba Me ConMount, the horsemen in well-fitting dress are ready to gallop when ashot signals the start of the race.
Approaching thefinish line, they jump down off their horses, fire five shots insuccession, take the red ball, hop back onto their horses and return tothe start line.
The traditional form of ridingwithout a saddle makes the race more interesting with spectacularperformances. The man who has the fastest horse and obtains the mostgoals is the winner.
During wartime, the race was absent for many years as horsemen went to the battlefield to protect national independence.
In the spring of 1980, a horse race held by the Bac Ha MilitaryCommand gathered more than 50 jockeys from villages across the district.
Twenty-seven years later, the horse race wasofficially restored as part of cultual activities in response to theannual tourism development cooperation programme between eightnorthwestern provinces.
More and more visitors havecome to Bac Ha to taste the unique festival, which saw the number ofvisitors in 2012 doubling the 2009 figure to 30,000.
Therestoration of the festival aims to meet cultural and spiritual demandsof local ethnic groups, helping preserve their special cultural values,said Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Bac Ha People's Committee.
Vang Van Huynh, who excelled in last year's race, said only whensitting on horseback, can he and his fellow riders show off theircourage handed down from their ancestors.
As a racedesigned for “barefoot cavaliers”, who have been friends of horses sincethey were born, the festival has become an attraction for both domesticand international tourists.
Joining this year'sfestival, visitors will have a chance to join in the exciting andanimated atmosphere with a host of activities such as traditionaldances, cuisine festival, farm produce market, and eco-tourismprogrammes.-VNA
