Spring festival features pig racing

February 16, 2019 - 11:00

Pig racing will take place everyday from now to February 24 in Mường Châu Village, Ba Vì District on the outskirts of Hà Nội.

Hanoi Paragon Hill is a great place to pose for photos. — VNS Photo Chiểu
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI — Pig racing will take place everyday from now to February 24 in Mường Châu Village, Ba Vì District on the outskirts of Hà Nội.

The Hanoi Paragon Hill Resort will host the spring festival with a traditional market and games. Tourists will have the chance to try peanut candy, grilled rice paper and Tết specialities such as bamboo sprout soup, bánh chưng (square glutinous rice), pork rolls, pickled onions, boiled chicken and spring rolls.

Not only children but adults can also enjoy traditional games such as tug-of-war, water puppetry and printing Đông Hồ folk paintings.

Everyday, the festival features the traditional music of chèo (traditional operreta), xẩm (blind wanderers’ music) and hát xoan (spring singing).

The highlight of the festival was the pig racing, according to Nguyễn Tiến Sơn, a representative of the organiser.

“The activity aims to honour the Year of Pig. It’s also an effort to revive and preserve traditional games.”

“People criticise the violence of traditional festivals where pigs or buffaloes are slaughtered. We’re organising pig races to create an exciting atmosphere and honour a fine tradition.”

Tourists are also flocking to the festival to enjoy the 3.5ha rose garden with 600,000 trees. Sơn said it took two years to plant the trees. He wants to build a tourist site with beautiful scenery combined with cultural activities.

Located 50km from the city centre, the site has been recognised by the Việt Nam Book of Records as the largest rose garden in the country. — VNS

 

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