| Description |
The traditional Vĩnh Khê Village Wrestling Festival is held annually on the 7th day of the first lunar month to commemorate and pay tribute to two generals - the village's tutelary gods who had great merit in defeating the enemy to save the country and protect the people during the Tran Dynasty. The two tutelary gods are Vũ Giao and Vũ Trong, and also to honor Mr. Phạm Tử Nghi - a famous general from Vinh Niem (An Duong commune) - who passed through Vĩnh village when the festival was held, he asked to participate in the wrestling competition and won a high prize. After his death, the villagers set up a memorial tablet to worship him along with the two Vũ brothers.
The Vĩnh Khê Village Wrestling Festival was formed during the Tran Dynasty, 14th century (with a history of nearly 700 years), converging the crystallization of the training of soldiers proficient in martial arts to save the country by the two tutelary gods of the village - who are also the lucky gods that the villagers have built temples to worship since that time. The annual wrestling festival is held for the first 3 days of spring on the birthdays of the two tutelary gods, of which the 7th day of the first lunar month is the main festival day. The Vĩnh Khê Village Wrestling Festival is associated with a wrestling competition, which usually lasts only one day but attracts many wrestlers from famous wrestling schools in Hai Phong and other provinces and cities to compete.
After the traditional rituals according to the village's customs, two elders in the village, dressed in formal clothes, will perform the "giao diep" ceremony and symbolically wrestle in the communal house, then the wrestlers will compete on the stands set up in the communal house yard. The competition rules are set by the village, regardless of age, weight class and competition time. This is also a unique feature of the Vĩnh Khê Village Wrestling Festival. Normally, the wrestlers will compete in 3 rounds, each round has a time of 3 minutes to determine the winner. However, in case the 3 rounds end without determining the winner, the wrestlers will enter the extra round without counting the time. The wrestler is considered to have won absolutely when he defeats his opponent in a position where both shoulders and one buttock touch the mat at the same time for 3 seconds.
The Vĩnh Khê Village Wrestling Festival demonstrates the martial spirit, respect, and remembrance of the people's origins. The festival has been deeply rooted in the subconscious of the people, maintained as a tradition, and passed down through many generations. With its unique cultural features, in 2017, the Vĩnh Khê Village Wrestling Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. |
