Vietnam, RoK hold exchange of tug-of-war

Representatives from the Republic of Korea (RoK) Tug-of-war Association joined an exchange of tug-of-war at the Tran Vu Temple in Thach Ban ward, Long Bien district, Hanoi, on the occasion of Vietnam Heritage Day (November 23).

Important rituals are performed before the tug-of-war.
Important rituals are performed before the tug-of-war.

Tran Vu Temple is associated with the ritual and performance of sitting tug-of-war. The game is a part of a traditional festival in Ngoc Tri village, Thach Ban ward, aiming to pray for favourable weather conditions and bumper crops.

In the game, two teams sit and tug a long rattan shoot which is passed through a red ironwood pole which is fixed in the ground.

The teams take the shoot to prepare for the game.

In the RoK, tug-of-war is a cultural event held at community festivals, aiming to pray for peacefulness and show the solidarity among people. The ropes used in the RoK’s game are made from straw in different styles: single and double strings, crab, and scissors-shaped ropes.

A rattan branch is passed through an ironwood pole that was painted red.

At the exchange, a team from Tran Vu Temple, along with the RoK representatives, performed the rituals and games of tug-of-war. The RoK side introduced their game. The exchange has contributed to enhancing the mutual understanding between the two nations.

Kyu mea Hoo (in grey trousers), a representative from the RoK side, joins the game.

The RoK friends cheering.

The exchange provided a lot of fun for all participants.

Tug-of-war is a popular and unique cultural activity in Asia. In December 2015, the traditional tugging rituals and games in Vietnam, along with those in Cambodia, the Philippines and the RoK, was officially listed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.