PANO - The authorities of Hoa Long commune, Bac Ninh, held a ceremony on February 11th to receive the certificate of national intangible cultural heritage for its Huu Chap Village's tug-of-war and to open its traditional tug-of-war festival.

Tug-of-war folk game in Huu Chap Village

In Vietnam, tug-of-war is a folk game that is practiced at a number of traditional festivals and community events. The Huu Chap Village's tug-of-war in Bac Ninh province is among the long-lasting traditional festivals of the Northern region. It is held annually on Lunar January 4th by locals to wish for favourable weather conditions, abundant crops and a prosperous life.

The traditional folk game was recognized as the national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in December 2014.

Translated by Trung Thanh