The annual Bay Nui ox race in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang begins next Monday.

The three-day race in Tinh Bien District is held on the occasion of the ethnic Khmer people's Sene Dolta Festival to worship their ancestors, one of their most important festivals.

The contest will see ox pairs take on each other in a series of knockout races. They will run on an 8m-wide track that is submerged in ankle-deep water.

Every year the race attracts thousands of locals and tourists because of its excitement and unique nature.

Last year 64 pairs of oxen from An Giang and the neighbouring provinces of Kien Giang and Soc Trang took part. — VNS