Ceremony to receive the National Intangible Cultural Heritage "Wrestling Festival at Vinh Mo Communal House"

On the morning of February 4 (January 7, At Ty year), the People's Committee of Cao Xa commune (Lam Thao district) solemnly held the Ceremony to receive the National Intangible Cultural Heritage "Vinh Mo Communal House Wrestling Festival" and opened the 2025 Wrestling Festival.

Leaders of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded the certificate of the Vinh Mo Temple Wrestling Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage to leaders of Cao Xa commune, Lam Thao district.

Attending the ceremony were comrades: Nong Quoc Thanh - Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism); Duong Hoang Huong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lam Thao district and many local people.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Duong Hoang Huong presented flowers to congratulate the Party Committee, government and people of Cao Xa commune, Lam Thao district.

Vinh Mo Communal House belongs to the provincial-level historical and cultural relic cluster of Vinh Mo Communal House and Pagoda (Cao Xa Commune, Lam Thao District) which was ranked and recognized in 1998. The Communal House worships the current village tutelary god Nguyen Van Ky, a famous general in the Hung King period, who contributed to helping King Hung defeat the enemy and save the country; recruited people to establish hamlets and reclaim land to form Vinh Te village, Cao Xa Commune today. The Communal House is associated with the Wrestling Festival - a unique traditional festival of the Ancestral Land, which is held on the 7th of January every year.

The unique feature of the Vinh Mo Temple Wrestling Festival compared to other wrestling festivals in the country is the addition of the custom of "chasing the prize". This custom originated from chasing the enemy out of the village. After the final match of the wrestling festival ended, the winning wrestler had to climb the flagpole, grab the prize, and then run out of the village. The villagers chased after him until the winner jumped into the water, then they stopped chasing. After chasing the prize, the wrestling festival ended.

Wrestling pairs compete at the 2025 Vinh Mo Temple Wrestling Festival.

The wrestling festival at Vinh Mo Communal House in Cao Xa Commune is a unique cultural beauty, demonstrating the martial spirit, praising the love for the homeland and country, and the determination to fight off foreign invaders of the villagers. Not only that, the festival is also considered by the local people as a "hem" at the beginning of the year to drive away all the bad luck of the old year from the village, welcoming the new year with all good things to every home and every person.

With that meaning, on December 10, 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 3985/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing the Vinh Mo Temple Wrestling Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

At the program, the leaders of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded the certificate of the Vinh Mo Communal House Wrestling Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage to the Party Committee, government and people of Cao Xa commune, Lam Thao district. Immediately after the ceremony to receive the Vinh Mo Communal House Wrestling Festival 2025, a competition between 10 pairs of wrestlers took place, attracting the enthusiastic attention and cheering of many people and tourists from all over.

Ha Bich

Source: https://baophutho.vn/le-don-nhan-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-le-hoi-vat-duoi-giai-dinh-vinh-mo-227352.htm