In pictures: Unique mud ball wrestling festival in Bac Giang’s Van Village

The festival is held on the main yard of Tam Giang Saint Temple, with an area of about 200m2 and a muddy surface. The court consists of two holes to push the ball down.

16 men in loincloths are selected to participate in the game and divided into two teams.

Before the match, the players perform the ritual of worshiping Saint Tam Giang.

The ball is placed in the middle of the field and players rush to compete for the ball and put it in the hole to win the game.

A fierce struggle between the two teams

When taking the ball, the player must quickly run to the opponent’s hole while being blocked by the opponent.

The mud ball wrestling festival represents the wishes of wet rice farmers for a bumper crop with good weather.

The players try to place the ball into the hole.

The ball is made from wood and weighs nearly 20kg

When the match ends, all the people pour onto the field to “bathe in mud” to share joy with the two teams.