Early morning on February 14, tens of thousands of locals and tourists gathered at Hai Luu Commune Stadium in Song Lo District, Vinh Phuc Province to witness the final round of the traditional buffalo fighting festival.
By around 7 a.m., over 20,000 spectators had arrived to watch the finals of the festival.
This year’s festival featured 10 pairs of buffaloes representing villages, wards, and community groups within the commune, competing in a knockout format.
The fighting buffaloes, also known as “Mr. Cau,” were carefully nurtured throughout the past year. Winners from the quarterfinals and semifinals advanced to the finals to compete for first, second, and third place.
The sideline referees raised flags to ensure safety, and upon the main referee’s signal, the gates were opened to start the matches.
The Hai Luu Buffalo Fighting Festival is renowned for its ancient folk culture, preserving its original essence: no use of stimulants, no gambling.
This morning, seven matches took place, including four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and one final.
In some quarterfinal matches, several buffaloes hesitated to fight, prompting organizers to ask their owners to employ techniques like “forcing the horns” to resume the battle.
After the matches ended, many buffaloes remained aggressive, chasing and butting their opponents, requiring handlers and referees to intervene.
By 10:30 a.m., the final match was between “Mr. Cau” No. 04 and No. 20. To reach the championship, each buffalo had to win four consecutive matches.
After 10 minutes of sizing each other up, the two buffaloes charged with their signature moves.
After intense clashes involving horn locks and jaw lifts, “Mr. Cau” No. 20 gained the upper hand. With strategic blows, blood began to flow across the fighting buffalo’s head.
A powerful lift by buffalo No. 20 sent buffalo No. 04 running around the arena. In the end, Do Van Do’s buffalo claimed the championship. Earlier, buffalo No. 20 was highly regarded for its tactical fighting style during the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Supporters and owner Do Van Do rushed onto the field to celebrate as buffalo No. 20 was crowned champion of this year’s festival.
After the competition, some champion buffaloes were slaughtered on-site. The price per kilogram of Hai Luu fighting buffalo ranged from 500,000 to 2.5 million Vietnamese dong. The champion buffalo fetched between 5 to 7 million dong per kilogram.
