Vinh Khe Temple wrestling festival

Vinh Khe Temple Festival (An Dong commune- An Duong district) is open every year on January 7th of the lunar calendar. This is a traditional festival to commemorate the local tutelary god.

The wrestling matches are not under any existing standards, but the village’s own rules: the wrestlers fight to eliminate directly their rivals irrespective of time and score. A fighter wins if he beats the other in a posture of his shoulder, buttocks on the floor at the same time. The festival is a tribute to the merits of the village’s tutelary god as well as a symbol of the local people’s martial spirit.

In addition to wrestling, the festival includes various traditional events such as swings, human chess, chess etc. and other cultural activities, arts which are common to welcome a new year.