Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival: Unique Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival was born nearly 1,000 years ago, around the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong. After many ups and downs, the buffalo fighting festival gradually faded away and was only held on a small scale. It was not until 1990 that the traditional Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival was restored.

The Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival is not only a sporting event but also carries deep spiritual values, and is the pride of the people of Hai Phong coastal area. The festival has become an indispensable part of the spiritual life of the people of Do Son, taking place annually on the 9th day of the 8th lunar month. The origin of the festival is associated with the worship of the Water God of the fishermen, praying for safe and windy sailing trips.

In addition to the vibrant festival, the ceremony was held very solemnly, with unique rituals such as carrying the god's palanquin, dancing with flags and blowing horns. These rituals created a cultural space imbued with identity, expressing respect and community solidarity. The Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020. The local government clearly identified the dual role of the festival: It is both a task of preserving intangible cultural heritage and an important tourism stimulus highlight. This affirms the position of the festival, not only as a place to preserve traditional values ​​but also as a bridge for Do Son to bring the image of "Four Seasons Destination" closer to domestic and foreign tourists.

The 2025 Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival took place in a jubilant and bustling atmosphere, tens of thousands of people and tourists flocked to the Do Son Central Stadium, Hai Phong to witness the Final Round of the Traditional Buffalo Fighting Festival. After a day of fierce competition with 15 dramatic matches, "buffalo" number 06 of buffalo owner Dinh Dinh Phu excellently won the 2025 championship, bringing home a prize of 100 million VND.

Some pictures of the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival in 2025:

Flag dance of the young men of Do Son coastal area.

Drum beat to open the festival.

Blow the horn and call the people to come watch the festival.

The "buffaloes" brought to the festival visitors intense and thrilling fights that brought many emotions.

Do Son buffalo fighting festival attracts a large number of people and tourists.

TUAN NINH-PHAM DOI (performed)

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/le-hoi-choi-trau-do-son-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-doc-dao-848823