The Mong people in Nghe An's profession of raising fighting bulls worth thousands of dollars

In the districtKy Son, fighting bulls are often seen by the Mong people as a symbol of strength. Therefore, wherever the Mong people live, there is often a culture of bull fighting during traditional holidays and New Year.

Each fighting bull costs an average of 60 million VND or more, especially champion bulls are often asked to buy at very high prices. Fighting bulls are even sold to Laos and China for 10 to 12 thousand USD each.

A fighting bull owned by Mr. Ho Tong Chua, Tien Tieu village, Nam Can commune, has a very majestic appearance. Someone offered 120 million VND for it but it has not been sold yet. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Ho Tong Chua, Tien Tieu village, communeNam CanHe said that his family has 3 fighting bulls. At first, he bought a young bull that did not know how to fight for 50-60 million VND. He then took care of it and trained it to fight. If the bull wins many matches, someone will pay a high price, sometimes double or triple the original purchase price.

Fighting bulls are often given more special care than beef cattle, fed elephant grass, cereal powders, and exercised daily. Photo: Tien Dong

According to Mr. Chua, a good fighting bull must meet the following requirements: long curved horns; high hump; slim back with length from 90cm to 1m; height from 1.25m or more; long tail and chest circumference must be 90cm or more.

A beautiful cow is usually 4-5 years old, often has firm muscles. By looking at the teeth and the swirls on the back, players will know the age and level of tameness of the cow. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Lau Ba Tu in Truong Son village, Nam Can commune, is an expert in selecting and trading fighting bulls. Mr. Tu has 5 fighting bulls. Less than a month ago, he sold 2 fighting bulls for nearly 7,000 USD (more than 150 million VND) each and 1 for 4,000 USD (more than 80 million VND) to Chinese customers. After posting clips of his fighting bulls to customers and finalizing the price, the bulls were taken to Do Luong to be taken by truck to Cao Bang, then to China.

After selling 2 bulls with a total value of more than 220 million VND, Mr. Tu currently has 3 fighting bulls being cared for at home. Someone offered more than 100 million VND/bull but he has not sold them yet. Photo: Tien Dong

According to bullfighting enthusiasts in Ky Son, usually fighting bulls are bought from Laos, some are selected from the Ky Son yellow bull breed. The bulls are kept in separate pens, their horns are sharpened, bathed and their fur is brushed regularly.

With mature fighting bulls, when the muscles are firm, the hair on their back and body will be less, so people have to brush them regularly. Photo: Tien Dong

With this high-value cow, people also take care of it in a special way. To increase the aggressiveness of the cow, the breeder will rarely take the cow out, only letting it sharpen its horns and exercise for a short time. The rest is mostly kept in individual pens.

Fighting bulls are usually kept in captivity, and their owners only let them out of the cage for a few hours a day to exercise and bathe. Photo: Tien Dong

In particular, from the time they are mature and old enough to fight, the breeders will not let the fighting bulls mix with other bulls. They will not even let them mate to ensure their strength and endurance. After the fight, people usually take the bulls home, and do not slaughter them like fighting buffaloes in other localities.

A row of bullfighting pens is located next to National Highway 7A, near Nam Can border gate (Ky Son). Photo: Tien Dong

Currently, fighting bulls in Ky Son are mainly distributed in localities where Mong people live such as:Muong Long, Na Ngoi, Muong Tip, Nam Can, Huoi Tu... Because of its high value and being a symbol of strength, fighting bulls have become a beloved animal for every Mong family in Western Nghe An.