According to legend, the wrestling festival held in Sinh village has existed for over 500 years, and it is widely considered the greatest and oldest martial arts festival throughout the central region.
Local villagers are eager for the festival to get underway following the lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. They build a wrestling ring on a high rectangular piece of land in front of the village’s communal house, with the arena surrounded by ropes.
The wrestling festival attracts people from across Vietnam.
40 local male and female wrestlers participate in the event, as well as competitors from neighbouring localities.
Spectators are curious to discover the festival.
In the morning, competitors participate in the qualifying round, and those who beat their three rivals are selected to progress to the semi-final round that is held in the afternoon.
In the semi-final stage, wrestlers must also defeat three rivals to advance to the final match. Before the final match, competitors carry out a worship ritual for the village’s genies.
A fighter wins if he is able to successfully wrestle his opponent to the ground.
The annual festival is to preserve the various sporting traditions of Sinh villagers.