'Keeping the flame' of folk culture alive through spring games.

QTO - Along with the vibrant spring festivals taking place throughout the country, many folk games are also actively organized in numerous localities, contributing to a lively and exciting atmosphere at the beginning of the new year, strengthening solidarity and close ties, and jointly preserving and promoting the traditional values ​​of our ancestors. In the context of digital technology and the virtual world gradually becoming familiar and initially unfamiliar after mergers, these folk games are an opportunity for many people to meet, exchange, share, and pass on the spirit of the festival to the younger generation.

Now over 70 years old, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xuan, residing in Thuong Giang village, Hoa Trach commune, has participated in the "rice cooking competition" of the former Canh Duong commune for over 40 years. This year, despite her advanced age, she did not miss the "rice cooking competition" organized by the Women's Union of Hoa Trach commune in coordination with the Farmers' Association of Hoa Trach commune.

Traditionally, almost every year, the former Canh Duong commune organized this unique competition during the spring days of the new year, creating a distinctive traditional culture for this nearly 400-year-old coastal village. In 2026, the competition was held for the first time in the newly merged Hoa Trach commune, bringing a more lively and festive atmosphere than in previous years.

The captivating "rice cooking competition" in Hoa Trach commune - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Mr. Xuan shared that the most difficult part for the competing teams is the fire-starting process. They have to find old, mature bamboo, trim it to make it ignite quickly, and then skillfully use tinder to ignite the fire so that it catches quickly and evenly... This task is usually assigned to the male members, who are experienced farmers.

In addition, they had to coordinate to pound the rice until it was perfectly white and beautiful, sift it to get delicious grains, and then work together to maintain the fire to cook a delicious, soft, and fragrant pot of rice. In previous years, Mr. Xuan was always part of the village's competition team. Recently, due to his advanced age, he has been guiding the members of the Thuong Giang village competition team, so his work has become much busier. Thanks to the efforts of the whole team, this year, Thuong Giang village excellently won first prize.

According to Dang Thi Bich Thao, Chairwoman of the Hoa Trach Commune Women's Union, the "rice cooking competition" held on the 4th day of the Lunar New Year 2026 aimed to create a joyful, enthusiastic, and lively atmosphere in the early days of spring, build a healthy and beneficial cultural playground, and contribute to improving the spiritual life of female cadres, members, farmers, and all strata of people in the commune. At the same time, the event also strengthened interaction, connection, and mutual understanding between villages and branches.

Furthermore, this is also an opportunity to contribute to preserving, honoring, and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of the nation, especially the cultural activities associated with the working and production lives of rural people; thereby, educating the younger generation about traditions, and arousing an awareness of appreciating, preserving, and promoting the cultural identity of their homeland in modern life.

Nine teams from various villages participated in the competition, which included: Fire-making (demonstrating the skills, dexterity, and teamwork of team members); rice washing and cooking (performing the traditional rice washing and cooking process, ensuring adherence to procedures and technical requirements); and product presentation and explanation. The judging panel scored based on criteria such as the quality of the cooked rice (sticky and delicious, meeting flavor requirements), technical skill and teamwork, completion within the allotted time, food safety and hygiene, attractive and neat presentation, and clear, meaningful, and relevant explanations.

“The competition is not just a simple game, but also demonstrates the harmonious coordination among members of each team, thereby promoting the spirit of mutual support and unity in overcoming challenges. Just as in life, when we know how to share, all difficulties can be overcome. In the coming years, the organizing committee will strive to expand the scale, attracting more villages throughout the commune to participate, contributing to strengthening interaction, connection, and neighborly bonds,” added Dang Thi Bich Thao, President of the Women's Union of Hoa Trach commune.

The beauty of the traditional stick-pushing sport in Nam Cua Viet commune - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Meanwhile, in Nam Cua Viet commune, on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse), a chess and stick-pushing competition was successfully held, attracting a large number of local people. Stick-pushing is not just a folk game, but has truly become a very popular traditional sport among the local people. After the merger, the commune has strived to organize these two sports simultaneously to provide people with more opportunities to celebrate the Lunar New Year, strengthen bonds, improve health, promote the sports movement, and contribute to the preservation and effective promotion of the local traditional cultural values.

After a day of exciting competition, attracting enthusiastic participation and support from a large number of people, in the stick pushing event alone, the organizers awarded medals to women in the following weight categories: Up to 45kg, 46-55kg, 56-65kg; and to men in the following weight categories: Up to 55kg, 56-65kg, 66-75kg.

In Minh Hoa commune, in the early days of spring, a lively and attractive human chess game was also organized, attracting a large number of participants. Many other localities in Quang Tri province also paid attention to and focused on organizing traditional folk games at the beginning of spring immediately after the merger, contributing to strengthening solidarity and close ties among the people.

As Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Huy, an ethnologist, once shared: There are many games whose origins we no longer know. But they certainly have existed for a very long time, hundreds, even thousands of years. Our folk games also possess a different kind of beauty, as they are not merely something purely belonging to one ethnic group. Folk games are also a form of learning, assimilation, and exchange between ethnic groups, regions, and countries. In that role, folk games can be considered "ambassadors" connecting cultures.

And Quang Tri is striving to preserve and safeguard those fine traditional cultural values, contributing to creating a unique vitality for the cultural space in the early days of spring.

Mai Nhan

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202603/giu-lua-van-hoa-dan-gian-qua-tro-choi-dau-xuan-07f1313/