The rhythmic sound of a drum echoes for kilometers-vibrating, pressing, increasing in urgency. Any spectators arriving late from neighbouring villages hasten along their way. The crowd grows larger and larger around a flat piece of empty space in front of the village pagoda.  Suddenly, the drum stops. Then it resumes, but this time in three long series and accompanied by the metallic sound of a gong. Three respectable old men in long blue robes with puffed sleeves appear. The man in the middle holds a multi-coloured flag; the man on the right, a small drum; and the man on the left, a gong. These are the referees. Behind them come two teams of twenty players each. These young, well-built men are barebacked, with colourful loincloths and red or yellow belts designating their team. The captain of one team holds a tray with a ball on it, covered with a pink cloth. The referees and players stop once they reach the centre of the playing area. The team leader places the tray on the...

Children between ages six and 15 enjoy playing bit mat bat de (“catching a goat while blindfolded”). One participant volunteers to play the “goat” and another, the “goat catcher”. Other players form a circle around the players.  The goat and goat catcher are blindfolded with handkerchiefs. The game begins when the catcher yells, “Done!” The goat can move wherever he or she likes but must occasionally bleat. The catcher listens for the bleats and grapples to find the goat. In turn, the goat must move quietly to avoid being trapped. Since both players are blindfolded, the goat and goat catcher must use both their ears and wits to win. The other players distract the goat and goat catcher to make them turn in the wrong direction. This creates hilarious moments and prolongs the game. A new round begins once the goat has been caught. Other players who want to join the game may ask to play the goat or goat catcher. Source: https://vietnamtourism.com/

Both boys and girls play the game of keo cua lua xe. Two children sit opposite each other, holding each other’s hands tightly. While reciting a song, they push and pull each other’s arms and pretend as if they are sawing a piece of wood between them. They say each word as they push or pull. The song goes as follows:  Keo cua lua xe (Keo cua means “to ‘pull’ a saw”; lua xe means “to adjust the saw to the wood grain) Ong tho nao khoe (The worker who is strong) Ve an com vua (Returns to eat the king’s rice) Ong tho nao thua (The worker who cannot catch up) Ve bu ti me (Returns to suck his mother’s milk) Or, an alternate version: Keo cua lua xe Lam it an nhieu (Work a little, eat a lot) Nam dau ngu day (Sleep wherever we lie down) No lay mat cua (They steal the saw) Lay gi ma keo (How will we saw?) Source: https://vietnamtourism.com/