Go to Van Dien and watch the wrestling festival.
(Baonghean.vn) - Upon becoming Emperor, in order to "select generals and soldiers," every spring, King Mai Thúc Loan organized wrestling competitions in various regions to choose strong wrestlers to supplement his vanguard army. From then on, wrestling became a custom in village festivals in Vân Diên.
At nearly 70 years old, Mr. Phan Van Quang, who has served as a referee for the traditional wrestling festival in Van Dien commune for almost 20 years, recounts the history of the festival and his years of involvement in organizing it: The wrestling festival in Van Dien village dates back to ancient times, to the time of King Mai Hac De, and has been preserved by the people to this day. Every year, on the afternoon of the second day of the Lunar New Year, thousands of people flock to Van Dien commune to watch the wrestlers compete.
In the early spring atmosphere, crowds of people streamed along the roads to attend the festival. Red flags adorned the roads leading to the village, adding to the solemnity of the ancient traditional ceremony. The wrestling festival lasts from the 2nd to the 6th day of the Lunar New Year. Locals believe that a year without a wrestling festival will bring a bad harvest. Therefore, precisely at 2 PM on the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year, when the drums officially begin the traditional spring wrestling festival, every household rushes to watch. The drums resound, and cheers echo throughout the area. Thus, wrestling is an indispensable part of the New Year celebrations, contributing to the completeness and charm of spring in the region.
The wrestling festival is captivating because of the drumming, sometimes urging like a march, sometimes lively like joy, and sometimes hurried and boisterous like going into battle. Therefore, the drummers at the village wrestling festival are carefully selected. The selection criteria are always clearly defined: They must be villagers, have prestige, and be responsible for the affairs of the village community...
Typically, the person beating the drum at the village festival is an elderly person of high moral standing and respect in the village. After the opening drumbeat, dozens of wrestlers from Van Dien commune and neighboring communes in the district such as Nam Nghia, Nam Anh, Nam Thai... gather together. After the opening ceremony, wrestlers of all ages begin to compete. According to Mr. Phan Van Quang, wrestlers must win three preliminary rounds to participate in the next round.
The winner must throw their opponent to the ground, with their back touching the earth. A wrestler must defeat three opponents consecutively to advance to the semi-finals and finals. On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th days of the Lunar New Year, the wrestling festival becomes more lively as wrestlers compete for the Encouragement and Third Prizes. On the afternoon of the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, the finals for First and Second Prizes take place. This is the day that attracts the most fans; the entire road leading to the Vân Diên commune's football field is packed with cheering spectators.
The wrestling festival concludes, marking the time when the entire community heads to the fields, beginning a new year of labor and production. According to the elders in the village, the traditional wrestling festival of Van Dien commune holds great significance for the people here, serving as a source of spiritual nourishment and an indispensable cultural feature during the Lunar New Year. In particular, the wrestling festival showcases the chivalrous spirit of the people of Van Dien commune and the district in general.
The village wrestling festival has a wide range of participants, with visitors from far and wide able to register and compete. There's a separate tournament called the "Talent Tournament" specifically for professional wrestlers. In addition, amateur wrestlers compete against each other. The prizes are also quite unique, with their value depending on the sponsorship and support of visitors attending the festival.
Mr. Nguyen Van Du, 65 years old, from Nam Dan Town, is a passionate traditional wrestling fan who never misses the wrestling matches at the Spring Festival. He is also a generous benefactor of the Van Dien wrestling association, often giving "cash rewards" to wrestlers who win high prizes. He said: "Watching wrestling is the only way to truly appreciate the fun, the beauty, and the uniqueness of this national sport. Only the Spring Festival wrestling matches bring such a vibrant, lively, and joyful atmosphere, making people celebrate Tet with excitement. People from near and far who return home for Tet eagerly await it. At the wrestling festivals, regardless of age or gender, everyone can come to watch and cheer. If you want, you can even become a wrestler yourself. I haven't had the good fortune to become a wrestler due to health reasons, but I am the most enthusiastic fan. I've never missed a single year at the wrestling arenas."
In previous years, the Van Dien wrestling festival only lasted 1-2 days, but in recent years, due to popular demand and the large number of wrestlers participating, it has extended to 5-6 days. Encouragingly, the festival is attracting more and more young wrestlers, including teenagers. The beauty of the Van Dien wrestling festival is that anyone who comes to watch can become a wrestler themselves if they feel healthy enough and enthusiastic to challenge others.
That's why you see many people dressed formally to watch the festival, but ready to strip off their clothes and put on their belts before entering the wrestling ring. Nguyen Trong Cong (from Van An hamlet), a wrestler for many years and also the heaviest wrestler, who once won a silver medal in traditional wrestling at the Provincial Sports Festival, shared: "Every year I participate in the wrestling festival and every year I win a prize. Although the prize for the winner is just a T-shirt with the words 'Spring Wrestling Festival' printed on it, for 'village' wrestlers like us, it's a source of pride, joy, and excitement because we've already achieved success right at the beginning of the new year. Some years, I compete continuously for several days, only deciding the winner when I meet an opponent of equal strength and skill. Sometimes I come to the festival to visit my friends, but when I hear the lively drumming, the wrestling blood in me surges."
Since 1997, after the district
Mr. Tran Huu Giap, Director of the Culture and Sports Center of Nam Dan District, said: Besides the wrestling festival in Van Dien commune, which is regularly held at the beginning of Spring, some localities in the district also organize wrestling festivals such as Nam Nghia, Nam Thanh, Nam Xuan... However, these communes do not organize them as systematically and continuously as Van Dien due to various reasons. To preserve and maintain the traditional wrestling festival at the beginning of Spring and the New Year, as a foundation for wrestling in festivals in Nam Dan district, in the coming time, the Culture and Sports Center of the district, with its functions and duties, will develop a specific plan. It will advise the District People's Committee on appropriate mechanisms and policies to support local authorities in organizing folk games in general, and the Spring wrestling festival in particular, to become an attractive playground and a gathering place at the beginning of the year for people in localities in Nam Dan and neighboring areas...
Thanh Thuy
