'Wrestling Festival'

(CLO) On February 4, Cao Xa commune (Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province) held a ceremony to receive the National Intangible Cultural Heritage "Vinh Mo Communal House Wrestling Festival" and opened the 2025 Wrestling Festival. This is not only a traditional festival but also a symbol of martial spirit, patriotism and indomitable will of Phu Tho people.

At the program, 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 the Party Committee, government and people of Cao Xa commune, Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province.

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.

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 era, who contributed to helping King Hung defeat the enemy and save the country; recruited people to establish hamlets, reclaimed 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, held on January 7 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.

Immediately after the welcoming ceremony of the 2025 Vinh Mo Temple Wrestling Festival, a competition between 10 pairs of wrestlers took place, attracting the enthusiastic attention and cheering of many people and tourists from all over.

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/phu-tho-co-them-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-le-hoi-vat-duoi-giai-dinh-vinh-mo-post332981.html