Thousands of residents and visitors gathered at the Water Ball Wrestling Festival in Van Village, Van Ha Ward, Bac Ninh Province, to watch fierce contests unfold on a muddy playing field in one of the most distinctive traditional festivals in the Kinh Bac region.

The festival runs for three days from May 28 to 30, corresponding to the 12th to 14th days of the fourth lunar month. It attracts large numbers of local residents and tourists from across the province and beyond, offering visitors the opportunity to experience one of northern Vietnam’s most unique folk celebrations.

A distinctive ritual rooted in agricultural culture

The highlight of the festival is a series of water ball wrestling matches held on a mud field covering approximately 200 square meters in front of Van Temple. Before the competition begins, women dressed in traditional costumes carry water from the Cau River and pour it onto the arena, creating a smooth layer of mud that symbolizes the fertility and abundance of the homeland.

Sixteen competitors, known as "quan cau," take part in the contest. These young village men are carefully selected for their physical strength and moral character and are divided into two teams: Giap Thuong and Giap Ha. According to local custom, participants must observe a number of restrictions and rituals before the festival to maintain physical and spiritual purity before entering the sacred arena.

Following ceremonial offerings to the village deity, a wooden ball made from jackfruit wood and weighing around 20 kilograms is placed at the center of the field as festival drums echo through the crowd.

Bare-chested and wearing traditional loincloths, the competitors charge into battle across the slippery mud. Dramatic moments of lifting, wrestling, blocking and struggling for possession, combined with enthusiastic cheers from spectators, create an electrifying atmosphere throughout the event.

The matches showcase not only physical strength but also sportsmanship, determination, unity and collective spirit among the competitors.

According to folk beliefs, the wooden ball symbolizes the sun, the source of life-giving energy. The struggle to control the ball reflects humanity’s desire to conquer nature while praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests and prosperous lives.

Local residents also believe that being splashed with mud from the arena brings good fortune, prosperity and peace in the year ahead.

The festival is closely associated with the exploits of Duc Thanh Tam Giang and serves as a tribute to ancestors who contributed to protecting the nation and safeguarding the community. At the same time, it recreates the celebratory atmosphere of historic victories achieved by previous generations.

Over hundreds of years, the festival has become an inseparable part of the spiritual and cultural life of the people of Van Ha. More than a traditional folk game, it serves as a collective expression of hopes for peace, favorable weather, abundant harvests and continued prosperity for the community.

Preserving a national intangible cultural heritage

The Water Ball Wrestling Festival of Van Village has been included in Vietnam’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, recognizing the unique cultural value of this remarkable folk tradition.

The designation represents a source of pride for local authorities and residents while also reinforcing their responsibility to preserve and promote the heritage for future generations.

In the years ahead, the locality plans to continue researching and documenting the festival, expand the use of digital technology in cultural preservation and further develop the Water Ball Wrestling Festival into a signature cultural and tourism product of Van Ha Ward and Bac Ninh Province.

Bao Khanh