The Ok Om Bok Festival, also known as Phochia Praschanh som paes khee, is the Moon Worship Festival. This celebration takes place in almost every province where Khmer communities live in the Mekong Delta, but it is grandest and most well-known in Sóc Trăng City (Sóc Trăng Province). In recent years, the festival has also been organized in Trà Vinh Town (Trà Vinh), Rạch Giá City (Kiên Giang), and Ô Môn District (Cần Thơ City).

Among the countless festivals of the Khmer people throughout the year, three are the most important: Chol Chnam Thmay, Dolta, and Ok Om Bok. But Ok Om Bok is celebrated with the greatest excitement and vibrancy.

The Ok Om Bok Festival in various places usually begins with the ghe ngo boat race (“Um Tuk Ngua”). The ghe ngo is about 24 meters long and 1.2 meters wide, hollowed from a single sao tree trunk, shaped like the sacred Naga serpent—the guardian spirit of the Khmer people. Each boat holds around 40 rowers. The bow and stern curve upward gracefully. The hull is decorated with vibrant patterns, and even the paddles are meticulously adorned. The Khmer regard the ghe ngo as a sacred object, used only for major ceremonies like Ok Om Bok. The head monk and community members carefully select strong young people as “Ch’rò-wa” (rowers), and appoint a respected elder as “Chih-khbal” (helmsman) along with “Yông-lith” (assistant helmsman). Sitting in two long rows inside the boat, young Khmer men and women in beautiful uniforms paddle in perfect rhythm to the whistle or gong of the leader.

Under the blazing sun or in pouring rain, the rhythmic sound of gongs and whistles beats like a heartbeat, blending with the deep splashes of paddles cutting through the frothy water, propelling the boat forward amid thunderous cheers from tens of thousands of spectators. Today, the ghe ngo race is seen as a shared festival of the three ethnic groups—Kinh, Khmer, and Hoa—bringing everyone together to enjoy beauty, strength, heroism, and the skillful artistry of the rowers competing on the river. It embodies the spirit of sport, unity, and joy. The race lasts until late afternoon, and though there are winners and losers, all the rowers leave happy and proud in a spirit of solidarity.

In the late afternoon, people in Sóc Trăng head to Hồ Nước Ngọt (Freshwater Lake), while in Trà Vinh, crowds gather at Ao Bà Om to participate in the Moon Worship ceremony. Ao Bà Om is a unique scenic spot in Trà Vinh, famous throughout the South for more than a century.

A well-known folk song in Trà Vinh praises two famous local attractions and is still sung today:

Biển Ba Động nước xanh cát trắng  
Ao Bà Om thắng cảnh miền Tây  
Xin mời du khách về đây  
Viếng qua thì biết chốn này thần tiên!

(Translation:
Ba Động Sea with blue water and white sand
Ao Bà Om – the beauty of the West
Come visit, dear guests, come here
One visit and you’ll know this place is paradise!)

Ao Bà Om is located in Khóm 3, Phường 8, about 5 km from the center of Trà Vinh Town along National Highway 53 toward the southwest. In the past, the roads leading to the lake were muddy paths in the rainy season and sandy trails in the dry season, winding through Khmer hamlets hidden under the shade of green trees. Over the years, the access road has been widened, paved smoothly, with two-way traffic and beautiful flower-lined medians. Ao Bà Om is rectangular in shape, often called “Ao Vuông” (Square Pond), covering about 10 hectares. Its clear, calm water is covered with lotus and water lilies, their leaves swaying gently and pure white flowers rising gracefully. Four sandy mounds surround the lake, dotted with ancient sao and dầu trees providing cool shade. Most captivating are the giant roots of some ancient trees protruding above the ground—some taller than a person—with bizarre yet unique shapes found nowhere else. In places, two old trees grow close together, their branches intertwining to create a “connection” and unity—a rare and wonderful sight. Many compare Ao Bà Om to Đà Lạt of the Mekong Delta because the towering sao and dầu trees around the lake constantly rustle like spring music, creating a cool, refreshing atmosphere. On August 25, 1992, Ao Bà Om was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a Historical-Cultural Site.

On festival night, the four dirt roads encircling Ao Bà Om, the slopes, and the paths around the lake are packed with people. Some sit in groups, others stroll leisurely, enjoying local rustic dishes or buying souvenirs sold everywhere. As night falls, “barefoot artists” bring the crowds to life with lively Lâm Thôn dances, Rô Băm and Dù Kê singing, À-day love songs, snail-shell chess matches, martial arts displays, tug-of-war, stilt-walking, ethnic costume performances, and tasting early-season flattened rice (cốm dẹp)… The sounds of xa-dăm drums, horns, gongs, and cymbals fill the air, making you forget all worries and cares, immersing you in the vibrant, joyful, and lively festival. You lose track of who you are, joining the mesmerizing Lâm Thôn dance steps or the romantic À-day courtship songs between young men and women…

The joyful Ok Om Bok night continues with songs blending into the music of various instruments and dances, creating a romantic “white night” that captivates everyone and leaves an unforgettable memory!

According to Báo Hậu Giang