Best view: During the two-day event, visitors enjoyed traditional music, costume performances and a cuisine contest. They also participated in tours on elephants to the Yok Đôn National Forest and local villages. - Photo tintaynguyen.com

ĐẮK LẮK — The Ethnic Cultural and Elephant Racing Festival in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Đắk Lắk attracted several thousand foreign and local visitors over the weekend.

The biennial event included different cultural activities, including acồng chiêng (gong) performance with participants praying for bumper crops and prosperity.

The race’s 18 elephants showed off theirs strength and skills in running, swimming and football playing.

During the two-day event, visitors enjoyed traditional music and song shows, traditional costume performances, and a cuisine contest. They also participated in tours on elephants to the Yok Đôn National Forest and local villages.

Đắk Lắk is known as the home of tamed elephants. However, the number of the animals declined sharply from 502 in 1985 to 84 in 2000 and there are fewer than 60 today.

The province has launched projects on healthcare and a research facility for elephant reproduction and conservation. — VNS