VOV.VN - Thousands of locals and tourists flocked to Hai Luu commune of Song Lo district in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on February 13 to witness an annual buffalo fighting festival.
Spectators gather together at the district’s stadium from the early morning, with thousands flocking to attend the buffalo fighting competition.
The annual festival is held from the 15th and 17th days of the first lunar month.
The stadium is packed with tens of thousands of eager spectators.
A total of 20 buffaloes from northern mountainous provinces such as Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Lai Chau, and Dien Bien are selected to compete in the festival.
The Hai Luu buffalo fighting festival is one of the oldest of its kind in Vietnam.
Barriers are erected in order to ensure the safety of spectators.
Fierce competitions among buffaloes excite the watching crowds.
It is said that the festival first appeared in the second century B.C, when the Han dynasty invaded Nam Viet (Vietnam today) of the Trieu Dynasty.
The festival was interrupted in 1947 due to war and was subsequently restored in 2002. Since then the festival has attracted tens of thousands of locals and tourists.