Do Son Buffalo Fighting

The Hai Phong buffalo fighting festival is one of the cultural heritages typical of the coastal area of ​​Hai Phong. This is a long-standing cultural activity with many interesting activities.

This is not only a normal festival but also a festival associated with the worship of the water god and the custom of sacrificing lives. This festival aims to demonstrate the martial spirit of the coastal people. Don't miss this unique festival and let's explore this festival with author Hoanghai through the photo album "Do Son Buffalo Fighting". The photo series was submitted by the author to the Happy Vietnam Photo and Video Contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications. In order for the Hai Phong Buffalo Fighting Festival to take place smoothly, the people living on Do Son beach had to spend more than 8 months preparing for the ceremony. According to the experience of the people here, the most important thing is to find and raise the buffalo carefully.

The buffalo chosen must be a male, healthy and able to withstand blows well. Usually, a good buffalo will have bronze skin, hooked hair, black jaw, four-ring cavities, and thick, hard hair to avoid the sun. The buffalo's horns are as black as ebony, and the horns are curved like two bows. In particular, the thicker and flatter the buffalo's back, the wider the chest, and the longer the round neck, the better the buffalo is considered. The selected buffalo will be led into the arena by many people. Before each match, the buffalo will be fed and carefully prepared to achieve the best condition. The festival has the participation of many units with their buffaloes participating. People participating in the festival also often look at the buffaloes and predict the champion. The buffalo fighting is always the most anticipated part of the festival. Outside the arena, the atmosphere is always jubilant and bustling with lots of cheers and encouragement. In the arena, the battle of the buffalo warriors is always tense, dramatic and exciting. Each buffalo has a fighting spirit to win, which makes the festival even more exciting. The Hai Phong buffalo fighting festival always attracts a lot of attention and knowledge. Many people who come here are amazed by the vibrant and bustling atmosphere. People have prepared for the festival very elaborately and thoughtfully. Each buffalo owner must carefully choose a strong buffalo to be able to win the festival.

The festival's highlight is the drum and trumpet sounds that are typical of this place. When these sounds resound, the atmosphere reaches its climax. The buffaloes will use all their strength to rush into each other to decide the match.

Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival, also known as Bull Fighting, is an ancient custom, a traditional festival of the fishermen in the Do Son coastal area, Hai Phong; taking place on the 9th day of the 8th lunar month every year. The festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam in 2013. The photo series captures the atmosphere of the festival and the impressive, dramatic moments of the matches during the festival.

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