Elephant racing festival is one of the activities of the Traditional Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups in Buon Don district, Dak Lak province, held every two years in March, the month of wild bees collecting honey and also the time to start farming. This is the dry season, beautiful sunshine, easy to travel, Buon Don people hold the Elephant Racing Festival along with other festivals such as: Water Wharf Worshiping Ceremony, Elephant Health Worshiping Ceremony, Buffalo Eating Ceremony to Celebrate the Season (Buffalo Stabbing Ceremony), New Rice Worshiping Ceremony (Harvest Celebration Ceremony), Gong Culture... to pray for the start of a new good crop season, high productivity, bringing prosperity to the village.
The elephant festival only lasts for 1 day with elephant racing activities such as: elephant speed running, elephant swimming across Serepok river, elephant football. The number of participants is from 15 to 18 elephants.
The elephant racing festival aims to honor the martial spirit and elephant taming skills of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands. In addition, visitors here can also enjoy unique cuisine, rich in the identity of the local ethnic groups and ride elephants to visit the villages, experience the journey of riding elephants across the Serepok River to visit YokDon Forest.
Time:
March 12, 2014.
- From 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Water Worship Ceremony
- From 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Health ceremony for elephants.
- From 20:00 – 21:30: Buffalo Eating Ceremony to celebrate the harvest (Buffalo Stabbing Ceremony).
March 13, 2014.
- From 08:00 – 08:15: Opening of the Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups in Buon Don District.
- From 08:30 – 09:15: Football competition.
- From 09:30 – 09:45: Elephant running competition.
- From 14:00 – 15:00: Elephant swimming competition.
- From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: New rice worship ceremony (Harvest celebration).
- From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Bathing ceremony and praying for the health of elephants after the end of elephant activities at the Festival.
Location:
The activities took place at the Community Cultural House and Buon Tri A (formerly Ban Don), Krong Na commune, Buon Don district, Dak Lak province.
