Unique fire-making and rice-cooking competitions at Thi Cam communal house.

The village of Thị Cấm, Xuân Phương ward, Hanoi, has long been famous for its annual "Running - Fire-Pulling - Rice Cooking Competition," held on the 8th day of the first lunar month. This activity aims to recreate the spirit of military training from the past, while also preserving traditional cultural values.

On February 24th (the 8th day of the Lunar New Year), a large crowd gathered at the Thi Cam communal house to participate in the traditional fire-carrying, fire-pulling, and rice-cooking competition.

The teams competing in the fire-making and rice-cooking contests were dressed in their finest clothes, preparing for the festival.

The annual fire-pulling and rice-cooking festival of Thi Cam village is held to commemorate the merits of the village's patron deity - General Phan Tay Nhac.

The competition featured four teams participating in events including: fetching water, making fire, and cooking rice using traditional methods.

Legend has it that the fire-carrying, rice-cooking competition originated from General Phan Tay Nhac, who once held a competition in Thi Cam village to select people to cook rice for his soldiers going into battle.

Amidst the resounding drumbeats and the enthusiastic cheers of villagers and visitors from afar, four teams, each wearing different uniforms and consisting of 10 men and women representing the four hamlets of the village, competed in the contest.

The cooking utensils were prepared in advance, while the logistics teams of the competition, such as sifting rice and pounding it, worked at full capacity.

The village communal house in Thi Cam resounded with the sounds of drums and gongs, and the cheers of the villagers as they encouraged the teams to start the fire and cook the rice.

Cooking rice using tinder and firewood in small pots requires considerable skill. Most contestants are elderly villagers with extensive experience.

After the rice had been cooking for about 15 minutes, the competing teams burned straw to get ash to bury the rice pots to help them finish cooking. At the same time, the village elders went around searching for and inspecting each rice pot.

The judging was based on several criteria, including: a water-gathering race, where young men had to run about 1km to fetch water and bring it back to the temple first; and a similar fire-making competition, where the team that managed to start the fire first would win.

The competition is a reenactment of the intelligence and skill in military training of our ancestors in fighting foreign invaders. This is a cultural aspect that needs to be preserved, aiming to educate the younger generation about the nation's traditions, and at the same time, to wish for a lucky and prosperous new year.

After the rice is found, the elders will bring it into the temple and scoop it into bowls to offer to the deities, only then will the judges be allowed to taste it and award prizes.

The Thi Cam Rice Cooking Competition is not only a unique cultural event, but also a symbol of the spirit of unity and the ingenuity and creativity of the Vietnamese people throughout generations.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/doc-dao-le-hoi-keo-lua-thoi-com-thi-tai-dinh-thi-cam-734915.html