What to do in Vietnam during Tet: Discover traditional Vietnamese folk games

Traditional Vietnamese folk games during Tet are very diverse. They represent the culture and communication of the Vietnamese people. Today, despite globalization, people preserve and develop the spiritual value of traditional games for future generations. Featuring straightforward and easily comprehensible gameplay, primarily designed for children, these games continue to captivate a wide player to the present day. Let's explore traditional Vietnamese folk games during Tet in this essay.

1.Origin and characteristics of traditional Vietnamese folk games

The origin of traditional Vietnamese folk games dates back to the cultural and religious practices of ancient communities. These traditional games emerge from mystical rituals, wishes, or simulations of activities linked to hunting and agriculture. Traditional games, particularly popular due to the fame of crossbows, attract many participants and enjoy the enthusiastic support of a wide audience.

The distinctive characteristics of traditional Vietnamese folk games lie in their role as a rudimentary form of education. They help shape the personality of children and promote their physical development. These traditional games are often marked by children imitating adults, or by direct teaching from adults to younger children. Thus, traditional Vietnamese folk games continue from generation to generation, constituting a precious national cultural heritage passed down over time.
We will discover traditional Vietnamese folk games during Tet!

2. Things to do in Vietnam: Discover traditional Vietnamese folk games

2.1 Jumping rope: for everyone

Jumping rope, which is one of the best things to do in Vietnam, remains a traditional game enjoyed by children for many generations. Whether during leisure time at home or during recess at school, all you need is a few friends, a rope or a rubber band, and a space large enough to start a game.

Jumping rope offers a unique combination of fun and utility, promoting quick vision, foot agility and endurance that contribute to children's physical development. It creates a fun, exciting and relaxed atmosphere for little friends to attend during Tet. Jumping rope can be practiced individually with 2 to 3 people or in a group of 5 to 10 participants.

2.2 Tug of war: for everyone

Tug of war, a popular entertainment for many years, transcends Vietnamese borders to become an activity appreciated throughout the world. Currently, tug of war maintains its reputation as an essential team game, even establishing itself as a popular sport. Present from the earliest educational stages, from nursery level to higher education, tug of war continues on traditional playgrounds, both as part of extracurricular activities and team building sessions for various entities such as agencies, businesses,organizations, unions.

2.3 Cat and mouse game: for children

With “Cat and mouse game,” the remaining participants group together in a circle while holding hands. In the center of the circle, the person designated as the “cat” sits back to back with the person designated as the “mouse.” When the starting signal sounds, the mouse strives to run quickly, while the cat works to display its hunting skills. When the mouse approaches the circle, the two people standing there raise their hands to allow the mouse to escape. “Cat and mouse game” is a traditional Vietnamese game with a simple rule. You can play with Vietnamese children during Tet.

2.4 Shuttlecock kicking: for ados

Shuttlecock kicking, widely played in Vietnam and China, is a sport where players strive to hold a shuttlecock in the air without letting it fall to the ground, using all parts of their body except the hands. Things to do in Vietnam: we can play shuttlecock kicking with the locals. There is also a variation where a group of players kick the shuttlecock with their feet, often in a circle, in public places such as parks, sports fields, and especially on school grounds with open spaces. These traditional games are played freely. Recently, shuttlecock kicking has gained popularity in Europe, America and other parts of the world.

3.Values of traditional Vietnamese game

Traditional games captivate individuals due to their simple and accessible gameplay, allowing them to be played anytime and anywhere. In addition, traditional Vietnamese folk games often take place outdoors, in natural environments, thus providing benefits for human health. Most of the time, traditional games are accompanied by nursery rhymes, folk songs, or even proverbs, making them easy to memorize and remember. Thanks to these characteristics, traditional games have gradually become an essential spiritual source in the life and development of the Vietnamese people.

4. Where to play traditional games in Vietnam?

The Ly Thai To flower garden: Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
Every Sunday afternoon, a corner of the Ly Thai To flower garden in Hanoi comes to life with traditional games such as mandarin squares, skipping, cat and mouse, tug of war, and volleyball. While traditional values seem to be fading in today's consumer society, where video games dominate daily life, these traditional folk games persist and quietly thrive in the capital.

Hanoi Walking Street: Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi
Traditional games prove to be the real “pearls” of the pedestrian street’s entertainment. The MyHanoi team has carefully reinvented iconic games such as tug of war, tangerine box, jump rope, transporting hundreds of tourists on a nostalgic journey back to their childhood. On the outskirts of the Hoan Kiem Lake area, in front of the suicide monument, groups of people disperse to play these traditional games. Some engage in wild games of tug of war, while others engage in games of mandarin squares.

5. List of other traditional games in Vietnam

1. Bag jumping 
2. Bamboo dancing 
3. Bamboo jacks
4. Blind man’s buff 
5. Cat and mouse game
6. Buffalo fighting 
7. Chanting while sawing wood 
8. Dragon snake
9. Flying kite 
10. Hide and seek 
11. Human chess
12. Mandarin Square Capturing
13. Mud banger
14. Racing boat

Discover traditional Vietnamese folk games during Lunar New Year

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