Vietnam_Picture_Tugging Rituals and Games:Anh Keo co ngoi

Vietnam_Picture_Tugging Rituals and Games:Anh Keo co ngoi

Seated Tugging is practiced in the village festival of Thach Ban Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi city.\nThis village is situated on the land along the Red River dike. The people live mainly on farming and rice cultivation, so water is extremely important. The legend of Seated Tugging is rooted in the desire for sufficient water for life and production. Thus, the saints that people worship are all related to water. Seated Tugging expresses the desire for good weather and good harvest.\nSeated Tugging is done on the ground. A rattan rope is threaded through ironwood pillars fixed to the ground. The tugging game is played by two teams (nineteen people per team) sitting on the ground. One leg is bent, the other is straight, and the heels provide the leverage to pull. The teams also have to prepare gifts of sticky rice and a pig head covered with fat to offer to the saints. Seated Tugging is a ritual and a game, played in three-round matches at the Tran Vu temple festival. There is always a winning team. According to the compact of the community, it symbolizes luck and flourishing for the year. These compacts, concepts, and conditions for participation for Seated Tugging are prescribed\nby the community and maintained from generation to generation. The value of the ritual and game has a spiritual character and also expresses cultural creativity. It is the conversion of beliefs or desires into a cultural expression of offerings, rituals, and performances, which is reflected in the behavior between the two teams, as well as between the game participators, flag keeper, and drum player. All communities participate in the ritual and game voluntarily, fairly, and without rivalry.

Vietnam_Picture_Tugging Rituals and Games:Anh Keo co ngoi

Vietnam_Picture_Tugging Rituals and Games:Anh Keo co ngoi

Seated Tugging is practiced in the village festival of Thach Ban Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi city.\nThis village is situated on the land along the Red River dike. The people live mainly on farming and rice cultivation, so water is extremely important. The legend of Seated Tugging is rooted in the desire for sufficient water for life and production. Thus, the saints that people worship are all related to water. Seated Tugging expresses the desire for good weather and good harvest.\nSeated Tugging is done on the ground. A rattan rope is threaded through ironwood pillars fixed to the ground. The tugging game is played by two teams (nineteen people per team) sitting on the ground. One leg is bent, the other is straight, and the heels provide the leverage to pull. The teams also have to prepare gifts of sticky rice and a pig head covered with fat to offer to the saints. Seated Tugging is a ritual and a game, played in three-round matches at the Tran Vu temple festival. There is always a winning team. According to the compact of the community, it symbolizes luck and flourishing for the year. These compacts, concepts, and conditions for participation for Seated Tugging are prescribed\nby the community and maintained from generation to generation. The value of the ritual and game has a spiritual character and also expresses cultural creativity. It is the conversion of beliefs or desires into a cultural expression of offerings, rituals, and performances, which is reflected in the behavior between the two teams, as well as between the game participators, flag keeper, and drum player. All communities participate in the ritual and game voluntarily, fairly, and without rivalry.

4. Cord and ironwood stake at tug-of-war ground & The rattan cord will be tugged back and forth through a ironwood stake' s hole. Rattan cord used in Hương Canh tug-of-war festival must be at least 45m in length and has a diameter of 3-4cm

9. Tug-of-war of Giáy ethnic minorities in Lào Cai province at Xuống đồng (starting a new crop festival)

2. Tug -of-war of the Việt people in Hữu Chấp village, Bắc Ninh Province: In preparing for the tug-of-war festival, the village chose wealthy young men and “unstained” families and divided them into two team: East and West

7. Tugging the cord back (in Hương Canh festival , the Việt people in Hương Canh village, Vĩnh Phúc Province)

10. Tug-of-war of Tay people at Lồng Tồng (starting a new crop) festival in Lào Cai province

3. Tug-of-war of the Việt people in Hữu Chấp village, Bắc Ninh Province After all rituals were finished, tug-of-war started. Two teams, East and West, competed in three rounds; whoever win two rounds are considered the winner. If the winner is East team, villagers believe that they are going to have a good crop and vice versa. East team always was arranged to be a winner of the game.