Lieu Doi Wrestling Festival – Ha Nam

The Lieu Doi Wrestling Festival is a traditional festival that celebrates the martial arts and the history of Lieu Doi Village, Liem The Commune, Thanh Liem District, Ha Nam province. The festival is held on the 5th day of the first lunar month every year to honor Thanh Ong, a hero of the Doan family who fought against the Chinese invaders and was also the founder of wrestling.

The festival starts with a procession ceremony that expresses the solemnity and the spirit of the warriors. Then, there is an open fire ceremony, where a large flame is lit and an elder gives a sword and a red cloth to the wrestlers. This ceremony is called “the giving of the sword and the red cloth ceremony”. After that, there is a Thanh Dong ceremony, where the wrestlers pay respect to Thanh Ong and his descendants. Finally, the wrestling competition begins. First, two boys from the village wrestle for five rounds as a demonstration (the Five Round Custom). Then, the wrestlers from other places join the competition.