According to annual tradition, the traditional buffalo fighting festival in Do Son, Hai Phong, Vietnam will be held.

Behind the promises for a special traditional cultural performance, perhaps there is an equally bustling preparation, which is the buffalo meat market. Although not yet a popular commodity segment, this product group has left many impressions.

The old feature “When the time comes, it comes again…

No matter where you shop/ On the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, you will return to the buffalo fighting… The old song has permeated the identity of Do Son, where the traditional buffalo fighting festival takes place every year, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage since 2013, and continues to exist as it has for generations.

The training of buffaloes to prepare for this festival is very elaborate. According to experience, fighting buffaloes must be healthy male buffaloes, “bronze skin, hooked hair, one cavity with four holes, black jaws, long hair, wide chest, big groin, stork neck, pearl tail, pointed butt, bow-shaped horns, long thighs…”.

The most important thing is that fighting buffaloes are raised in isolation, not in contact with other buffaloes, meaning that before entering the fight, “they do not love or resent anyone”, creating a unique feature compared to ordinary buffaloes.

Rituals in the buffalo fighting festival

The ritual for the buffalo to enter the festival is also extremely solemn, from the first day of the month, the elders in the village have to perform the ceremony to worship the gods. Then there is the water procession ceremony associated with the custom of worshiping the water god, the water god is changed once a year and brought to the communal house by each village (ward). At the communal house, the buffalo owners are allowed to bring their buffaloes to perform the Thanh Hoang ceremony.

After the rituals, the fighting buffaloes are officially called "Mr. Buffalo", a symbol of spirituality, belief, and contain the aspirations of those involved. On the main festival day, the 9th of the 8th lunar month, the procession of the "Mr. Buffaloes" to the fighting arena with the palanquin of the eight-pole, the dragon and the eight-pole, fluttering miraculously, bustling with the sound of the eight-tone.

According to some research perspectives, the Do Son buffalo fighting festival has an intersection between the elements of agricultural culture of the plains and the culture of coastal residents, with its own nuances. Importantly, the special spirit and physicality of the festival are clearly expressed, linking the worship of the water god with the ritual of fighting and sacrificing buffaloes, spanning hundreds of years of tradition.

The only difference is that, in the past, after each fighting ceremony, the winning buffalo was put on a boat, transported to the sea and thrown into the sea to worship the gods. Now, the post-ceremony is somewhat different, the fighting buffalo is brought back, then slaughtered as a sacrifice, praying for favorable weather, calm seas, smooth sailing... A portion of the fortune is divided among the villagers.

According to ancient beliefs, if a village's buffalo wins the festival, that year the whole village will have good luck, everyone will be safe during the journey to sea, people believe that if they eat fighting buffalo meat during the festival, they will have good luck. The meaning of sacrifice is like that, but in the past few decades, when the buffalo fighting festival became famous, one of the highlights attracting tourists to Do Son, the "god's fortune" is actually fighting buffalo meat that has been commercialized.

It is believed that eating buffalo meat will bring good luck, smooth business, strong health, meaning that you will be blessed by the gods, this concept is no longer a matter of the coastal people.

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