Kyrgyz wresting ‘Kurosh’ is one of the most ancient types of wrestling of the Kyrgyz people. Athletes wear belts and white loose pants without a shirt on. Wrestlers stand one in front of another and hold each other by the belt with both hands. A wrestler must have at least one hand on the belt of his opponent during the match. One cannot grab opponent’s legs with hands but foot sweeps are allowed. The one whose thigh, body or head touches the ground first loses. If athletes fall simultaneously and it is unclear who touched the ground first – the match starts over.

‘It is one of the most widespread horseback games played at various feasts and festivities. Kyz kuumai is translated as chasing a girl. ‘Kyz kuumay’ was a wedding tradition in the past, in which a groom on a horse had to pursue and catch a racing bride. The game involves several couples in national costumes, which are well acquainted with rules of the game and have perfect horse riding skills. The bride was provided with the best horse; she started the race first. The groom had to catch his bride, thus proving his love and reaffirming his right to marry her. The groom has to catch up with the bride and kiss her or to touch her with his headwear, thus declaring his victory. In case of a failure, the girl chases the young man, striking his back with a whip. Due to the worse horse, the groom often failed to capture the girl. However, this was not a reason for the bride to refuse to marry.

Dembee is a form of entertainment closely associated with the airag (mare’s fermented milk) culture of nomadic Mongols. Dembee is a type of a game to guess the total number of fingers of two people through its own established phrase of verses, rhyming and distinct melody. The tradition of dembeedekh is an example of how deeply the music is involved in the livelihood of Mongols.

The World Nomad Games are the biggest international project held in the Kyrgyz Republic, a project initiated by the government in 2012 for the revival and preservation of the culture of nomadic civilization. The mission of the World Nomad Games covers the revival, development and preservation of the ethnosport and ethnoculture movement in the world, diversity and originality of the people of the world in order to foster a more tolerant and open relationship between people. The World Nomad Games consist of three main parts: •\tEthnoculture •\tEthnosport •\tScience The First World Nomad Games were held in Kyrgyzstan in 2014. 583 athletes from 19 countries participated in competitions held in 10 types of sports, plus an additional 1,200 participants in the cultural program. The Second World Nomad Games were held in Kyrgyzstan in 2016. 1,200 athletes from 62 countries participated in competitions in 26 types of ethnosports. The Third World Nomad Games were held in Kyrgyzstan in 2018. 1,500 athletes from 66 countries participated in competitions in 37 types of ethnosports.

Kyrgyzstan 2021

Suối Mỡ Temple Festival is held on March 30 and April 1 of the lunar calendar every year at Suối Mỡ Temple, to honor the Three Holy Mothers, especially Princess Quế Mỵ Nương, daughter of the 16th Hùng King. He was instrumental in opening the Stream, helping people clear the land, and creating water for people to cultivate. Right from the early morning of the 1st, 25 processions of villages in Nghĩa Phương commune gathered at Đảo Nổi to attend the opening of the festival. After that, the procession from the villages to the temples (Thượng, Trung, Hạ) in the Suối Mỡ relic complex. First, there is a ceremony at Dùm village communal house and the procession of the tutelary god's ordination and tablet to Suối temple. The procession passes through Cây Xanh temple and then to Hạ temple. At the same time, Quỷnh village also took the procession from Quỷnh communal house west of Suối Mỡ, through Hàn Lâm village to Trung temple to hold the ceremony. When the procession arrives at Hạ Temple, the offerings are made. Palanquin processions were previously led by virgins, or young ladies. The male and female Mandarin worship teams, as well as the villagers, lead the procession of palanquins with hammocks, floats, parasols, regalia, and other elaborately decorated outfits. The highlight of the Suối Mỡ temple festival is the ritual of singing literature and worshiping the saints of the villages. The festival has many folk games such as pounding day cake, archery competition, traditional martial arts performances, blindfolded pot smashing, chess, checkers, etc.

Hai Ba Trung Temple, also known as Ha Loi Temple, Me Linh Commune, has a very important historical significance. This is the place to worship two national heroines, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi - the leaders of the uprising to overthrow the Han Dynasty and regain national independence and autonomy in 40 - 43 (AD). Trưng Sisters Temple Festival - Me Linh is held annually at the beginning of the first lunar month at the Temple to commemorate the two Ladies' contributions. The main festival opens from the 6th to the 10th of January with incense offering ceremonies, processions, sacrifices, palanquin handovers... Every 5 years, in years ending in 0 and 5, people will organize a palanquin procession of Hai Ba Trung with the four tutelary deities of Ha Loi village. From the 4th of January, local people will perform a bathing ceremony, changing the cover of the statue of the Queen. Then, on the 4th and 5th, the locals will hold a ritual to worship the Two Ladies at the village communal house with the village's tutelary god, the four generals (the brothers Do, Ho, Bach, and Hac who helped Thanh Tan Vien restore the Hung dynasty). In the procession of the Two Ladies from the Temple to the Communal House, there will be: 2 elephants, 2 horses, a team of young women wearing white shirts carrying the palanquin, a team of female guards wearing brown shirts, wearing leggings, carrying swords like soldiers in ancient times, and two teams of women carrying the two palanquins. In addition, there will be a team of men wearing blue ceremonial shirts with seals, a team of musicians, a team of money bearers, a team carrying flags, long swords, and eight treasures, umbrellas, and parasols, creating a solemn atmosphere for the festival. On the morning of the 6th, the villagers will send the Two Ladies back to the capital. The Trưng Sisters Temple Festival in Me Linh has its own unique feature, which is the palanquin handover ceremony. The procession will have the following order: Thanh Hoang palanquin and General Cot Tung will stand on both sides of the yard to pay respect to the Two Ladies returning to the capital. When leaving the Temple, Trung Trac palanquin will go first. When reaching the road to the village communal house, Trung Nhi palanquin will go first. When reaching the communal house gate, the elder palanquin will go first, the younger palanquin will go after. Both sides will welcome the two ladies. This ceremony symbolizes the image of the king returning from the capital Me Linh to visit the village. From the 7th to the 10th of January, the Trưng Sisters Temple Festival will include the ritual to pay respect to the six female generals, the blessing ritual, the banquet and the thanksgiving ritual. After the ritual, the festival will feature many folk games such as: swing, blindfolded goat catching, traditional wrestling... and performances reenacting the heroic feat when the two ladies sacrificed the flag to start the uprising, creating a bustling and joyful atmosphere for the festival. The festival contains noble humanistic values, educating the tradition of patriotism, the morality of drinking water and remembering its source.

The festival is held on the 19th and 20th of the first lunar month, traditionally called the Ha Linh festival - or commonly known as the Ba But Pagoda Thanksgiving Festival, to commemorate Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang - the governor of Nghe An, who had many contributions to building Nghe An homeland and expanding and protecting the borders of Dai Viet under the Ly dynasty. The Qua Son Temple Festival is organized by 7 villages (Thanh Xuan, Trac Thanh, Tap Phuc, Nhan Boi, Phuc Hau, Nhan Trung and Phuc Yen), belonging to 3 communes of Ngoc Son, Lam Son, Boi Son, who assign each other and are responsible for each part of the work to carry out the festival. The main locations are the opening ritual at Qua Son Temple (Tap Phuc village), the place to offer incense and thank Ba But at Ba But Pagoda (Trac Thanh village) and the Lam River section from Qua Son Temple upstream to Ba But Pagoda. The rituals include: "Khai quang, tẩy uế" ceremony, "Yết cáo" ceremony, "Chinh te" ceremony (is the ritual to worship Than Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang, also known as "Xuất Thần" ritual, the statue of Ly Nhat Quang is carried out on a palanquin to be carried to Ba But pagoda for a thanksgiving ritual). The unique feature of the Qua Son temple festival is the procession in the early morning of the 20th with two army and navy wings. The army wing consists of the "main army" team and the "civilian army" team, carrying the palanquin from the temple to Ba But pagoda. The navy army holds a navy review ceremony. The two processions gather at Ba But pagoda, the Saint's palanquin is placed in the middle to offer incense, perform the ancient ritual /thanksgiving ritual. After the rituals, the two army and navy wings hold a review ceremony to carry him back to Qua Son temple in the order of the procession. At Qua Son temple, the people hold a ritual to enthrone him. In addition to the rituals, the Qua Son Temple Festival also has folk games such as: swinging, cockfighting, chess, traditional wrestling, pot smashing, tug of war..., sports activities that attract the participation of the people. The Qua Son Temple Festival aims to recreate the heroic history of the nation, express gratitude to ancestors, contribute to connecting the community and the martial spirit of the people of Nghe An. With its typical value, the Qua Son Temple Festival was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.

The ceremony takes place on the 6th day of the first lunar month every year. The ceremony, in the Yao language, is "Tịu siằng thun boaù lỉu". The Yao Tien people's New Year and harvest festival is usually held on the first day of the Dragon or the first day of the Ox in January, with the purpose of praying for the gods to bless the people in the village for a well-being, prosperity new year, new bumper harvest. The ceremony is run by a master of ceremonies (elected by the villagers, highly virtuous and knowledgeable of worship rituals). The place where the festival is held is the house of the master of ceremonies. The master of ceremonies and his assistants set up the altar, pasted Tam Thanh paintings, placed two bamboo trees on both sides and cut colored paper to decorate the altar. On two bamboo trees, hang fish shapes made of red paper, bundles of sticky rice seeds, corn balls, and sticky rice flour stuck on strings tied around the bamboo trees. The altar displays 1 bottle of wine, 1 boiled rooster, 2 plates of leaf cakes, 2 plates of fruit, 5 cups, and a bowl of incense. After the master of the ceremony reads the prayer inviting the Jade Emperor, the gods, and ancestors to attend the festival is the ritual dance - the bell dance. The bell dancing team consists of 8 people wearing traditional costumes, wearing hats with pictures of saints, shaking bells in harmony with the sounds of gongs and drums, and dancing in a circle. The festival takes place with many games and folk art forms such as tickling, còn tossing, love singing, etc.

“Kin” means to eat; “Pang” means ceremony, the person attending the ceremony; “Then” refers to the gods in Mường Trời. Kin Pang Then is a festival to celebrate adopted children of the White Thai people. The ceremony is organized by Then workers to meet adopted children to give thanks and celebrate Then's fate. The ritual takes place in early spring (from before the full moon in January to before the full moon in March every year), and is held once every 3 years. Mr. Then himself chose a specific day for his adopted children to know and attend. The day of the Kin Pang Then ceremony must be before the full moon day of the first lunar month. The pang tree is the center of ceremonies and is elaborately decorated. The Then altar and offering tray include many items. On the evening of the first day, Master Then prepared the pan cai offering tray to worship Then, including sticky rice, paddy, betel and areca, wine, eggs, steamed sticky rice, salt, white cloth, cotton thread, silver bracelet, incense, lamp, money, water, flowers, etc. Master Then wears traditional costumes to worship at the Then altar. Báo Khỏa plays the piano, Sao Chay assists him and shakes the bell. After performing the purification and blessing ceremony, Mr. Then asked the patriarch for permission to perform the ceremony. Master Then went to Then village to invite Then to come down and play, celebrate the adopted children's ceremony, and bless the adopted children with good health, prosperous business, and good harvests. After offering offerings to Then, Master Then, Sao Chay, Báo Khỏa, and their adopted children became monks. The next morning, the Then family slaughtered chickens, and pigs, and prepared sticky rice for the offering ceremony. One offering tray is placed at the ancestral worship place (clọ hóng) and one offering tray is placed at the Then altar (hỉnh một). In case Then's parents are still alive, they must ask Then's father to make offerings to their ancestors at the Clọ hóng pavilion. After worshiping the ancestors, Master Then made offerings to each adopted child. The adopted child's offerings include chicken, wine, sticky rice, Chung cake, and 1 piece of white cloth, arranged on separate trays. During the worshiping ceremony, Mr. Then worshiped while resting, drinking wine, drinking water, smoking, and singing back and forth with Báo Khỏa and Sao Chay. After offering offerings to the adopted children, Master Then and Sao Chay performed folk games and had fun with the adopted children.

The festival is held during the Lunar New Year, from the morning of the first day until the end of January. On the morning of the first day of the New Year, the shaman and a group of unmarried young men brought offerings including 2 chickens (one male, one female), Chung cake, wine, and incense to Bà Temple to hold a ceremony to lower the sacred drum and open the festival. After that, the shaman leads the group through each house, bangs a drum, and the homeowner carries an offering tray and joins the procession. Passing through all the families in the village, the procession returns to Ông Temple to worship the Ancestors. After the offering, the shaman holds a stick and "writes" the mantra on the drum and then beats the drum to invite the gods to attend and witness. After that, the shaman appointed a couple to receive the drumsticks and beat the beat on his behalf. Boys and girls wearing traditional national costumes take turns dancing around the drum. After the ritual dance is completed, the shaman represents the villagers to pray to give thanks, send the gods back to heaven and announce that it is time for the drum dance to celebrate the new year. People joined the festival, danced and poured wine together. After that, the young people took over the drums and together carried them to each house in the village to play the drums to celebrate the New Year. On the second day of Tet, villagers gather at Ông temple, dance, sing and participate in folk games such as bird's nest fighting and Còn tossing. The festival lasts until the end of January, the shaman and village boys carry drums from Ông temple to store at Bà temple, waiting for next year's festival season.

Literally meaning a “play ground”, Gầu Tào is often hosted by three families of the same blood line or by marriage. The festival takes place at the Gầu Tào hill from the 2nd to the 4th days in the first lunar month. A ritual master will be invited by the families to help carry out the ritual ceremonies. Some of the important rituals are cutting a bamboo tree and erecting it as the ritual pole. After cutting the bamboo, the ritual master ties two black and one red pieces of hemp fabric onto the tree’s top as a symbol for communal solidarity and invitation of ancestors to the festival. He will also attach one wine container made from gourd fruit and three small bundles of rice flower as symbol for fortune and luck, and a bunch of sưi fern plant as fecundity before erecting the pole, facing East for the three-day festival. The ritual master will do chanting, while making offerings before erecting the ritual pole. Members of the family will sing traditional ritual songs during these rituals. During the festival, there are games and performances, especially khèn music and dances, which the village members and visitors can take part in. On the last day, ending the festival, the ritual master holds an umbrella walking counterclockwise around the ritual pole while singing khâu dìn sê (descending the ritual pole). The bamboo pole is later used make bed and the linen to make baby clothes as a wish for good luck.

‘Chuko atmay’ is played with ‘alchiks’ (dices). Participants draw a circle with a diameter of 3-5 meters. Alchiks are placed in the middle of the circle. Order of the game is determined by throwing of ‘saka’. Two shot lines are drawn one meter away from the circle from two sides. If an alchik is beaten out of the line after the first successful shot, other shots are carried out from the circle’s line. In case of unsuccessful shot, other player takes a turn. The player, which shots out the largest number of alchiks, wins. ‘Ordo’ is one of the most spread games of the Kyrgyz. The word ‘ordo’ itself means ‘khan’s bid’. The game reproduces a battle for the capture of bid and represents some kind of a military map. A circle drawn on the ground means the enemy territory, and opponents frame a plan of the battle. Skills of leading the right interior policy are in the basis of this game as well. Ordo is played by two teams (6-10 people at each team). Playing order of the game goes in the round or by using elimination principle. Duration of the game is about two hours. The essence of the game is to strike the khan’s ordo placed in the center of a circle (16 meters in diameter) with the abalak (bat), as well as to push khan himself and voivodes (generals) out of the circle. The team, which strikes the largest number of voivodes out of the circle, wins. ‘Kan talamay, Upai’ is a traditional game with dices of ovine knee joints ‘chuko’. Players are divided into two teams consisting of 2, 4 or more. The number of dices needed for the game vary from 13-37 or more. The purpose of the game is to collect as much upais as possible. The largest dice is determined as ‘khan’ and dyed into a vivid color. Starting player takes all dices in his joint palms, placing khan in the center, and scatters them all onto the carpet. The first player tries to strike the khan. If the target is hit, the player continues to play, and in case of a failure – the next player enters into the game. Shots are done by the dices with equal position. There are also special regulations