The festival celebrating bravery and sacrifice is organized in the coastal city of Haiphong in the Do Son district with a major event of buffalo fighting. The bulls fight in the field while the people crowd around them and celebrate Water Goddess. The curved shape of the buffalo horns is similar to the shape of the moon and symbolizes the crescent moon and the god Doc Quoc. This is the god worshiped by the people of the sea.
Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival Dates
The traditional festival of thousands of fishermen in Do Son, Haiphong city ended on the 9th day of the 8th lunar month. Centuries-old local traditional has cultural, religious and artistic significance and reflects the physical and spiritual life of the community.
Buffalo Fighting Tradition and Meaning
In ancient times, after the final battle, the winning buffalo was thrown into the sea to make a sacrifice to the gods. Today, the winning buffalo is taken to Nghe Temple and killed as an offering to the village god, praying for good weather, calm seas, and plenty of fish.
There is an omen that the village with the winning bison will live in safety for the next year, and the fishermen who go out to sea will not be caught in a storm.
Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival and Animal Protection
In response to calls from animal rights and anti-cruelty activists, the central government has tried to end the tradition in recent years, but to no avail. Today, there is a petition calling on Vietnam's Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to revoke the national cultural heritage status of the festival and ban all buffalo fighting festivals in the country.
