Every year, every January, in the localities of Tan Trao commune, Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong city, people eagerly flock to watch the kick-and-wrestling festival.
Running Festival
The kicking festival takes place on January 9 every year at Ky Son communal house, Tan Trao commune, Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong city. Due to historical events, after a long time of not being organized, the kick-running festival was restored by the villagers of Ky Son in 2006. Since then, every 1 day, the villagers have held a festival. time.
At the beginning of the festival, the elderly in the village dressed in proper sacrificial clothes, representing the villagers entering the communal house to pray to take the sacred stone out. The “magic stone” is oval, smooth and smooth (weighing more than 10 kg), hidden in a lake about 10m from the communal house where the festival is held.
After the sacrifice at the village communal house, 12 healthy young men divided into 2 armors, each with 6 people, when entering the game, they run three times to the sound of the drum to find stones. The competition takes place in 3 rounds, each round is about 15 minutes. Whoever finds the stone must skillfully pass the stone to the communal house. These young people were given a cup of ginger wine by the celebrant and a piece of betel nut to warm their stomachs. The road to the communal house was far, the rocks were heavy and it was cold, so it was difficult to become a winner. However, no one is discouraged because the more they run, the more enthusiastic they are.
Then there is a ceremony to return the stone to the communal house and the person who finds the stone receives the award of the village. The ancients believed that whoever could find the stone, that year, the family and the clan would prosper and prosper.
The kick-running ritual is meant to promote the martial spirit, encourage people to exercise physically to contribute to the construction of the homeland and the country.
Kim Son Wrestling Festival
Kim Son Wrestling Festival (Kim Son village, Tan Trao commune, Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong city) is held on January 6, held once every 3 years.
The festival takes place to honor the spirit of military training and the merits of General Pham Ngu Lao (Tran Dynasty).
Kim Son Wrestling Festival is imbued with national cultural identity. Right from the 30th Lunar New Year, the villagers have been busy preparing, erecting a greeting gate to write the couplet “An ant is like a modern man, a hero of the naked power, a body falls in the spring” (roughly translated: Big meeting day, full strength of wrestling, decisiveness). win).
Dozens of boys rolled into the ball to compete, hoping to bring it home. Photo: LT
The families in the village are divided into three borders: Giap Duong, South and North. The piece of each armor is called a period (including 5 healthy, unmarried boys). Each armor has a chess master wearing a martial uniform with a scarf on his head, legs wrapped in leggings, holding a pennant in his hand to command the fight for the bridge.
The ball is made from a banana tuber with a diameter of 30-40cm, weighing nearly 20kg, wrapped in pink cashew paper with the image of four spirits: Long, Ly, Quy, Phuong placed on a tray in a palanquin.
At the time of the Dragon (10am) people carry the palanquin to the communal house. The wrestling tournament takes place on the communal house in the shape of a swallow. The bridge hole is dug in the middle of the main yard of the swallow’s navel. The ball is placed in the master hole. After the drum ‘crack’ sounds; wrestling begins. The ball from under the hole is vibrated.
Dozens of boys rolled into the ball to compete, hoping to bring it home. The boys were drenched in sweat, their muscles bulging. Everyone was immersed in the sound of drums, people shouting non-stop.
The contest consists of 3 rounds, 3 minutes each. The winning armor is the armor that brings the most number of shuttles to his field. At the end of the meeting, the ball is thrown into the semicircular lake in front of the communal house. Festival attendees often rush down to compete for a piece of food to eat the “rejection” of the village god.
With unique and special rituals, the Kim Son Bridge Wrestling Festival attracts a large number of tourists from many localities across the country to attend and is the pride of the people of Kien Thuy, Hai Phong.