Central Highland Elephant Racing
Central Highland Elephant Racing, Đôn village, Daklak province.
Time: 3rd lunar month.
The Elephant Race Festival is usually held in Don Village or in forests near the Sevepoi River. In preparation for the festive day, people take their elephants to places where they can eat their fill. Apart from grass their food also includes bananas, papayas, sugar canes, corns, sweet potatoes. The elephants are free from hard work to preserve their strength. On the big day, elephants from different villages gather at Don Village. The race track is on even ground, preferably wide enough for ten elephants to stand simultaneously in a line with a length of one to two kilometres. People from near and far in their best and colourful costumes flock to the festival.
With the signal of of tu va (horns made into musical instruments), the mahouts command their elephants to go to the race track, standing in a row at the starting point. The leading elephant stands in front, whirling his trunk and nodding his head in greeting the spectators. Atop each elephant there are two handlers in traditional costumes for generals. The tu va signals the start of the race and the elephants rush ahead, excited by the sound of the drums, gongs, and cheering from the spectators. Upon seeing the first elephant dashing to the destination, the spectators shout boisterously amidst the echoing sound of drums and gongs. At the end of the race, the winning elephants lift their trunks above their heads to wave to the viewers, walk deliberately flapping their ears gently, gazing through half-closed eyes to receive sugarcane from their viewers.
The winning elephant is given a laurel wreath. Like its owner, the elephant expresses its happiness and enjoy the sugar canes and bananas from the festival-goers. After this race, the elephants participate in the competition of swimming across the Serepok River, of tug-of-wars, or throwing balls and playing football. When the race comes to an end, the competing elephants bring back the atmosphere of the festival to their villages. Upon returning to their village, they receive warm welcome from the villagers. Very often, the elephants from Don Village win the prizes as the village has a tradition of training and tending elephants.
The elephant race is the biggest festival in the Central Highlands. the elephant is associated with strength, intelligence and faithfulness. Once tamed and taught not to fear their human brothers and sisters, they have proven themselves to be loyal friends. Vietnamese trainers know too well that a mistreated elephant has a memory for justice and retribution – and so, it’s easier to make friends with these beautiful behemoths.
In tribal villages, tamed elephants help in many aspects of daily life. The Central Highlands is the home to the majority of Vietnam’s elephant herds, with Ea Sup District in Dak Lak Province having the largest elephant herd in the highlands. Within the Ea Sup District, the Don Tribal Village is famous for its large number of tamed elephants and the villagers’ abilities in working with the elephants is well renowned.
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