STORY: Villagers revitalize centuries-old ox-cart racing tradition in Cambodia
SHOOTING TIME: April 7, 2024
DATELINE: April 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:05:22
LOCATION: Phnom Penh
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of ox-cart racing in Cambodia's Kampong Speu province
2. various of people watching ox-cart racing
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Khmer): CHHIM MAO, Ox-cart racer
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Khmer): SIEK SOTHEA, Spectator of ox-cart races
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Khmer): SUN MEANCHEY, Director of the Kampong Speu Provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts

STORYLINE:
  
Cambodian villagers gathered in Kampong Speu province on Sunday to race their ox-carts across a field, reviving centuries-old ox-cart racing tradition in the Southeast Asian nation.
   
Held in Samraong Tong district's Prey Rumduol village, some 40 km west of the capital Phnom Penh, contenders raced their carts pulled by two oxen in a 1,300-meter dirt track, as hundreds of spectators enthusiastically watched and cheered on the winners of the race.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Khmer): CHHIM MAO, Ox-cart racer
"I used to join it many times, about five or six times. I like it. I have had affection for this ox-cart race since I was a child. This has been a Cambodian tradition since ancient times, and it has been passed from older generations to younger generations. I would like to urge people to help preserve this ox-cart race, as it has been our tradition since ancient times."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Khmer): SIEK SOTHEA, Spectator of ox-cart races
"This is the first time I have watched it. I like it because when watching these ox-cart races, I feel happy and this has also been our tradition since ancient times. I would like to urge more people to join this ox-cart racing event in order to prevent this tradition from disappearance, passing it to our children and grandchildren."

According to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the event was aimed at preserving, promoting and developing the ox cart racing tradition, which was left by the ancestors since ancient times.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Khmer): SUN MEANCHEY, Director of the Kampong Speu Provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts
"The event is to preserve and safeguard this ox-cart racing tradition from disappearance. According to history, the ox-cart racing tradition has existed for hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of years. This year, 50 pairs of oxen took part in this event. Contestants race their ox-carts in a distance of 1,300 meters. I would like to appeal to all Cambodian people to join in preserving not only this ox-cart tradition but also other traditions for our next generations."

Ox carts were used to carry dowries and elderly people in wedding ceremonies or other festivals in ancient times. Villagers later initiated ox cart races to mark the traditional Lunar New Year, said the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

Ox carts are on the brink of disappearance since people turn to more modern modes of transport such as trucks, tractors and motorized rickshaws.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Phnom Penh.
(XHTV)