A royal ox eats food during ancient royal plowing ceremony in Cambodia

Lun Limthai (3rd R), governor of Kampong Cham province, designated by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni as the King of the plowing ceremony, plows the rice field by using royal oxen during the ancient royal plowing ceremony in eastern Kampong Cham province of Cambodia, May 28, 2013. Cambodia on Tuesday observed the ancient royal plowing ceremony, a ritual to mark the annual start of agricultural season in this Southeast Asian nation, where about 80 percent of the population are farmers.

Women hold plates of food for royal oxen during the ancient royal plowing ceremony in eastern Kampong Cham province of Cambodia, May 28, 2013.

A royal ox eats food during the ancient royal plowing ceremony in eastern Kampong Cham province of Cambodia, May 28, 2013. <Xinhua/Sovannara>