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Vietnam Open Tour News & EventsWEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER, 2009 |
 Win or lose, every buffalo is slaughtered and its meat sold With his big dark eyes, cuddly girth and gentle manner, he does not look like a fighter. Except for his horns. Curved like a scythe, they could inflict serious damage.
Locking horns: A fight between two buffalo at the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival. The annual festival, which tradition dates back to the 18 century, is a highlight cultural feature of the area. Do Son’s buffalo-fighting tradition dates back centuries, organisers say, but its modern form has become a big-money event with high-priced sponsorship, high-stakes gambling and thousands of dollars in prize money. For the participants, though, it is most importantly about community pride in this coastal district of fishermen and farmers near the northeastern port city of Hai Phong. "I trained this buffalo like a sports athlete," Luong Duy Hong, 59, says the day before the fight. Hong, a nephew of the buffalo’s owner, likens the animal to a professional football team with a big following of fans. "It’s the pride of the whole club. This is Manchester," he says, walking the buffalo in the late afternoon sun. Buffalo can still be seen labouring in Viet Nam’s fields but No 18 and other fighters are different. Like professional athletes, they are scouted and bought with one thing in mind: to compete. "I sent my nephews to try to find a proper buffalo," says its owner, Luong Trac Ty, 75. After months of searching they settled on this one, which has no name and is known only by the number printed in white on its dark rump. The farming family bought it in February for US$3,400 and spent another VND40 million (US$2,200) of their own money on training and upkeep, they said. That is a large sum in a country whose per capita income is about $1,000. Tradition says Ty’s buffalo is brave because its thin hair is twirled into small spiral formations above each shoulder and on each side of its rump. "That’s one of the reasons we chose this one," he says. Bravery is one thing, but a fighting buffalo also needs training. Gesticulating and talking excitedly, Hong says he has spent two hours every day swimming in a river and running with the buffalo, which has made it through two preliminary rounds to reach the finals. After spending so much time with each other, man and buffalo have become close – "like brothers", Hong says. But this is their last day together because, win or lose, every buffalo is slaughtered and its meat sold outside the stadium to people who believe it will bring them luck. "When he is killed, I will not be there," Hong says. Owners can recoup some of their expenses from the meat, which sells at a premium, while winning the fight would earn them a VND40-million prize. But Hong says buffalo fighting is not a business. "We participate for our honour and for the tradition of our area." The next morning, haze turns the newly risen sun into an orange disc before seven teams, each from a district in the Do Son area, parade to the stadium. In traditional dress they hold altars aloft, carry Buddhist flags and bang drums with their buffalo following behind. Several thousand people have filled the stadium to overflowing. Ty smiles and says his buffalo is ready. The fights are between two buffalo at a time. Sometimes there is a dramatic charge, a cracking sound as horns smash together, and pushing to and fro like wrestlers in a sumo match. "It’s like a martial art," says Nguyen Van Hung, 29, a spectator from Hai Phong. "I feel sorry when I see the blood on their faces," says Nguyen Quynh Huong, 28, who nonetheless cheers throughout. The crowd shouts at the violent butting of heads but is far more restrained than the area’s notorious football fans. At times there is little for them to get excited about; the animals simply stand there ignoring each other. As soon as one of the beasts turns tail and begins heading toward the exit, he loses. After the months of preparation, Ty’s buffalo gets its chance. It briefly touches horns with its opponent which then gives a short chase. No 18 trots off, a loser. The final bout finishes just as quickly. A buffalo owned by Hoang Gia Bon, which beat three challengers earlier in the morning, rushes towards its last opponent, hooking into its horns and lifting its head high. In about 60 seconds it is over. "This buffalo was born with the nature to win," Bon says. The wet-nosed animal’s young handlers – among them Bon’s son Vu Duc Minh – crowd around it shouting in victory. As a handler, Minh, 17, was on the edge of the field during the fight. "I was very scared, not for myself but for the buffalo because he is the pride of the whole extended family and we invested so much energy in him," he says. His sadness that the animal will be killed is somewhat tempered by knowledge that its meat will be offered to their ancestors and to the community’s patron saint. Local legend attributes the festival’s origin to the 18th century when two buffalo about to be sacrificed for the patron saint suddenly began fighting. The Do Son festival is not the only buffalo fight in Viet Nam, but it is one of the most renowned contests. "There will be a winner and a loser," Ty says, accepting his animal’s defeat. "It’s a lot of fun." VietNamNet/AFP/VNS
Hanoi to host National Tourism Year 2010 A ceremony was held in Hanoi on October 10 to celebrate the 999th anniversary of the capital and announce the National Tourism Year 2010.
A ceremony was held in Hanoi on October 10 to celebrate the 999th anniversary of the capital and announce the National Tourism Year 2010. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung handed over the symbolic flag of the National Tourism Year 2010 to Mr Thao. Nearly 1,000 artists, actors and actresses entertained local audiences with special art performances that feature the distinctive cultural identity of Thang Long-Hanoi and promote the city’s friendly and attractive image to visitors. The Tourism Year 2010 is closely linked to celebrations of the capital’s 1,000th anniversary. It will include nine major programmes and almost 30 activities, including tourism and cultural festivals and sports games. This is a good chance for Hanoi to show off the image of the City for Peace to local and foreign visitors. VietNamNet/VOV
The rice steps of Mu Cang Chai A mountain district off the beaten path is home to the same stunning scenery as Sa Pa, but without the kitsch. Just 350 km northwestern of Hanoi, foreign visitors can rech the perfectplace to see Vietnam's famoust rice terrages
An Lac Trang: a return to nature in HCM City Nature is full of secrets that defy understanding. Nature is also a place where people can return to their minds and find peace. For those who do not have time to go to a mountain or eco-tourism area far from HCMC to relax and let bygones be bygones, the An Lac Trang area in HCMC’s Cu Chi district is recommended as an ideal venue.
The destination is not a tourist site, but is host to the program ‘Yoga and Health’ for tourists to learn how to make tea, meditate, grow vegetables, practice yoga and swim. These activities aim to help tourists find quietness for themselves after surviving the noise and smoke of the bustling city and to forget the daily worries and stresses of modern life. Upon reaching Cu Chi district’s Phu Hoa Dong commune, tourists are equipped with life jackets for the boat ride to Ben Co islet. Before starting ‘Yoga and Health’, tourists are asked to turn off their cell-phones, abide by the schedule of activities, refrain from eating meat, smoking and drinking alcohol, keep quiet during rest times and respect the surroundings. The program is organized twice a month with 30 participants each time at a price of VND350,000 to VND450,000 per person based on contents and time (one day or two days) of the program. Students with shallow pockets will be supported by the organizers, said Ngoc My, head of the Vietnamese Tea Club. To join the program, contact Thanh Son calligraphy company at 40A Bui Vien street, District 1, HCMC or the Vietnamese Tea Club at 17 Tran Quy Khoach street, District 1, HCMC. VietNamNet/SGT
National tourism body to rate tourist boats The National Administration of Tourism will combine with the Ministry of Communications and Transport to rate the quality of tourist boats that offer accommodation services for tourists to stay overnight, on board, a tourism official said.
The new rule of the agency will have an impact on such kinds of tourist boats in Halong Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, as most tourist boats that accommodate tourists overnight are operating there. "The national tourism agency will recognize tourist boats from three-star standard and higher. The provincial government will recognize two-star boats and those of lower quality," he said. He said the agency has mapped out criteria to classify these boats. However, his agency needs to work with the Ministry of Communications and Transport in activities to classify the boats because they are operating under rules of the ministry. "We expect to finish the activity this year to help tourists to select quality boats with convenience and create a competitive environment for boat owners to improve services as well as methods and equipments to protect tourists," Tuan said. According to him, the new rule of the agency will have an impact on such kinds of tourist boats in Halong Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, as most tourist boats that accommodate tourists overnight are operating there. The official estimated that around 460 tourist boats are operating on the bay, and some 100 of them are qualified for star rating. VietNamNet/SGT
News for Saturday 10 October, 2009 View all news for Saturday 10 October, 2009 on one page Recent News
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