Nguyen Dinh My, Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province said that this year, Van village’s mud ball festival will be held on the 12th, 13th and 14th days of the fourth lunar month (May 12, 13 and 14). This is a unique festival in Vietnam, held only once every 4 years.

The mud ball wrestling festival in Van village is considered a unique festival in Vietnam, held only once every four years.

According to My, in addition to the ceremony announcing the decision to recognize the festival as a national intangible cultural heritage, the festival will include water procession, ball kicking, quan ho singing, campfire building, and folk games.

Like some other traditional folk festivals, the mud ball wrestling festival in Van village bears spiritual characteristics of wet rice farmers as well as many elements of prosperity, physical exercise and spiritual satisfaction. It is expected that this year’s festival will attract thousands of locals and tourists from all walks of life.

With the "unique" value, the mud ball wrestling festival in Van village (Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province) has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"The round ball is yang symbolizing the sun, and the hole symbolizes yin. Yin-yang harmony means everyone’s business prospers and everything is peaceful. That is also the community's wish for favorable weather and bumper harvests," My said.

Legend has it that in the past, four siblings namely Truong Hong, Truong Hat, Truong Lung, and Truong Lay followed Trieu Quang Phuc to fight the Liang invaders. When they defeated the Liang army and returned to Da Trach lagoon, they were harassed by black demons in the lagoon. Both sides entered a battle. The demons set a condition that if they win, they must be given a large reward; and if they lose, they will follow the Truong, called Saints Tam Giang.

In the end, the black demons lost the battle and had to submit to Saints Tam Giang. Therefore, Van villagers opened a ball wrestling festival (also known as Khanh Ha festival) on the day of the saints' enthrallment, with the aim of celebrating the victory.

The festival attracts thousands of locals and tourists from all walks of life.

According to the game’s rules, 16 healthy young men are divided into two teams (each with eight people), called the upper and lower teams. They compete for a mud ball.

The mud ball wrestling festival is held on the main yard of the temple of Saints Tam Giang (hamlet 4, Yen Vien village, Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province) with an area of about 200sq.m. The pitch is muddy, with two holes at its two ends to push the ball into. Each time the ball is pushed into the hole is the end of a round. On the 12th, there are two matches (tie), on the 13th three matches (2-1) and on the 14th four matches (tie).

Ao dai festival honors traditional culture and beauty of Vietnamese women

(BGO) - On April 26, the Bac Giang provincial Committee for the Advancement of Women cooperated with the provincial Women’s Union to launch Ao dai festival and award Photo contest “Charming female trade unionists and labours in ao dai” in 2022. 

Rose festival opens in cloud paradise of Sapa

The Rose Festival, themed “Fansipan - The land of roses amidst clouds”, officially opened at the largest rose valley in Vietnam in Sapa town, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, on April 23.

Palanquin procession celebrates Hung Kings Temple Festival

Seven communes and wards surrounding the Hung King Temple Complex officially organised the palanquin procession to the Hung Temple, at 9 am on April 7.

Kate Festival of Cham ethnic people in Binh Thuan Province recognised as national intangible cultural heritage

Kate Festival of Cham ethnic minority people in Binh Thuan Province has been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage under Decision No.776/QD-BVHTTDL issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Dossier of Via Ba Chua Xu festival approved for submission to UNESCO

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has approved the submission of the dossier of the Via Ba Chua Xu festival in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang for UNESCO's recognition as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Source: Dan Viet