VietNamNet Bridge - The Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival opens again today (September 28) in the northern port city of Hai Phong following the death of a man two months ago, caused by his buffalo at the fighting grounds. 



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The organizers have also narrowed the fighting zone in order to prevent the buffalo from running around and escape from the fighting area.



Mr. Hoang Van Hieu - Vice Chairman of Do Son District People's Committee cum Chief of the organizing board of Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival - said this time the preparation has been carried out thoroughly to ensure absolute safety for the audience, referees and buffalo owners.

Hieu said 16 buffaloes will participate in the festival. During the competition, if the buffalo is fierce or attack people, it will be shot with anesthetic guns.

The organizers have also narrowed the fighting zone in order to prevent the buffalo from running around and escape from the fighting area.

The iron fence system around the fighting zone is also reinforced with eucalyptus piles, so that buffaloes will be unable to remove the fence as has happened a number of times before.

In addition, according to Hieu, when the game begins, the organizers will "not let anyone inside the fighting zone, whether he is the referee or buffalo owner”. Five buffalo catchers have been selected and they will get into the fighting zone when they are commanded.

On the morning of July 1, during the qualifier round of the buffalo fighting festival in Do Son, a buffalo owner was unexpectedly killed by his own animal in the fighting zone. After the incident, this festival was halted.

During a meeting held two months later by the Ministry of Culture with scientists, Do Son officials and citizens, participants agreed to maintain this traditional festival.

However, Deputy Minister of Culture Trinh Thi Thuy asked Do Son authorities to build the festival into a unique tourism product of Hai Phong, to reduce the number of buffaloes from 32 to 16 and to organize only one round on the 9th day of the eight lunar month. 

Ms. Thuy also requested the organizers to have on hand specialized tools such as nets and anesthesia guns to handle incidents. 

Mai Lan