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Monday, July 18, 2011

Do Son Buffalo Fight Festival


Overview

Place: Do Son (Đồ Sơn) district, Haiphong.
Time: 9th day of 8th lunar month.
Characteristics: show the wish of a good fishery season, present the spirit of the people

 History

Buffalo fighting Festival in Do Son starts from first to fifteenth of 8th lunar month. Through many qualifying rounds, nine buffaloes will be selected to compete on the 9th day of 8th lunar month.

According to several  historic statistics, Buffalo fighingt Festival in Do Son started 1000 years ago, in King Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty.

Legend has it that an oldest man of the village dreamed of the two buffaloes fighting on the sea waves creating big and silvery waves. The next morning, he told everybody about his dream and that year the whole fishing village had surplus season. Villagers thought  that was the happy omen and  they held this festival to pray for the luck to their life.

Buffalo fight festival

This is a unique festival. The buffalo is chosen and raised carefully according some specific standards. Each of Communes appoints two experienced person to buy a buffalo. The good buffalo is a healthy one which has "long neck, medium buttock, small tail", "long thigh", "reddish brown skin, pinch fur", "a hole, four Cowlick", etc. They go everywhere to find; some even go to the surrounding provinces like Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh. It is hard to buy a good buffalo but it is more difficult to teach it. Its daily meals are of special one and increased  to the day of competition.

The fighting is very interesting. At the opening, tens of boys and girls dance with flags. After the speaker sound, buffaloes are lead into the fighting ground. When having the command; the takers release them  and the two buffaloes start fighting in the encouragement shout . The losing buffalo will be the one first running away. The rirst ranked will be taken to the Communal House in the shout of everybody. Whatever it is the winner or loser , both of buffaloes will be killed to worship the General and their meat  is equally divided to everybody.

The Buffalo fighting Festival in Do Son is very unique and attracts more and more visitors. Today, besides the main festival in  9th of lunar August, the Buffalo fighting Festival in Do Son also takes place in Summer Tourism Festival on 1 May (normal calendar).

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