Tug-of-war rituals and games - Unique national intangible cultural heritage

Tug-of-war rituals and games in Vietnam are practiced mostly in the midlands, the Red River Delta, and the North Central region, which are lands of longstanding Vietnamese settlement and the cradle of wet rice civilization. In 2015, tug-of-war rituals and games in Vietnam, Cambodia, the RoK, and the Philippines were officially recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The tug-of-war team in Huu Chap village, Hoa Long ward, in Bac Ninh city, Bac Ninh province, includes 70 people aged 30 to 45. (Photo: VNA)

Keo song (song pulling) is a traditional folk game in the three villages of Huong Canh, Ngoc Canh, and Tien Canh in Huong Canh town, Binh Xuyen district, Vinh Phuc province. (Photo: VNA)

Sitting tug-of-war, a folk game played during festivals and rituals at Tran Vu Temple in Thach Ban ward, Long Bien district, Hanoi, has been added to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Photo: VNA)

The tug-of-war team in Huu Chap village, Bac Ninh province engage in arm wrestling before the competition. (Photo: VNA)

Sitting tug-of-war involves team members sitting down during the contest, and is played at the Tran Vu Temple festival in Thach Ban ward, Long Bien district, in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

VNA