Vietnamese traditional folk games are a part of the rich and diverse culture of Vietnam. They reflect the history, traditions, and values of the Vietnamese people. Some of the most popular and interesting folk games are:
Cat and Mouse Game (Mèo đuổi chuột)
This game consists of more than seven members in one team. They stand in a circle, hold and raise their hands over their heads. Then, they will choose a person to play the cat and another to play the mouse. Both stand back to back in the middle of the circle.
How to play Cat and Mouse Game
When someone counts from 1 to 3, the mouse starts running and the cat must chase after it. The cat wins the game when the mouse is captured. At the beginning of the game, everyone in the circle also start singing a song, usually a folk song. Moreover, the children forming the circle also can make it more difficult for the mouse or cat to run through them. Then the mouse will act as the cat in turn. The game continues.
Although “Meo duoi chuot” has appeared for a long time, this Vietnamese game has been played from time to time.
Dragon and Snake (Rồng rắn lên mây)
Dragon and Snake game is one of several famous Vietnamese traditional games that attract every child in the country. Whenever they have free time, they often play it to have fun, which expresses a part of Vietnam tradition and customs. There are two players in this game including a doctor and a long dragon with a tail. The long dragon includes more than 5 people. The doctor flies to attempt to catch the child who represents the dragon tail. The head of the dragon stretches his arms to prevent the doctor from finding his tail while the tail tries to hide and form a circle.
How to play Dragon and Snake
When the dragon visits the doctor’s house, they will sing a song to ask about the doctor and his son, and the doctor would say he is looking for medicine. After some dialogues, the doctor would say “Pursue at will” and then the dragon must run as fast as possible with the body flying as the dragon into the sky. If the dragon succeeds in rolling into a circle before the doctor can chase it, it will win. Alternatively, if the doctor catches the dragon’s tail, the entire group will lose.
Mandarin Square Capturing (Ô ăn quan)
Like Rong Ran Len May or Chuyen, O An Quan (literally “Mandarin Box”) is also a very popular Vietnamese game played by everyone. This 2-player game is played on a rectangle on the ground which is divided into ten small squares called “rice fields” or “fish ponds”. There are two more semi-circles drawn at the ends of the rectangle called “mandarin boxes”. Each player has 25 small pebbles and a large stone of which 50 smaller pebbles represent the peasants and only 2 mandarins represented by bigger stones. Each square has 5 pebbles that are placed in the semi-circles.
How to play Mandarin Square Capturing
The game begins with the first player taking up the pebbles of one square on his side of the board and distributing the pebbles one by one, starting with the next square in either side. The player can take all the pebbles inside a square that is next to an empty square as captives. He loses his turn if 2 consecutive blank squares or the square followed a blank square is a Mandarin Box. Turn is given to another player once a player takes the pebbles of one square. If all five squares of one player are blank, he must place one captive pebble per square to continue playing. The game ends when there are no mandarins on the board. The winner is the one that has more captives.
Tug of War (Kéo co)
Tug of War is a Vietnamese game that people of all ages can take part in. It helps promote strength and teamwork and raises the “never-give-up” spirit of the participants. You might be surprised to find out that Tug of War has become an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity icon recognized by UNESCO in 2015.
How to play Tug of War
Players are divided into two teams and stand face-to-face along a bamboo rope. There is a red piece of cloth marking the middle of the cord. After the referee gives the signal, players tug the rope as hard as possible to pull the red cloth towards their side. Eventually, one team loses strength and lets go of the rope; the audience cheers the other team as winners. This game is appealing to people of all ages because it is easy to play and although it is competitive, it still brings fun to all participants. To them, winning or losing does not matter as it is not as important as unity, joy, and community harmony.
Game of Sticks (Chơi Chuyền)
This is another popular traditional game, especially among the girls. The game’s rule is simple, including tennis or any bouncing ball and 10 chopsticks (5 pairs)
How to play game of sticks
Starting with all of the chopsticks on the ground, throw the ball upward, pick up a chopstick with one hand, and catch the ball with the same hand. Continue until you have picked up all the chopsticks on the ground. If a player’s hands are not swift or if her eyes are not sharp, or if she fails to coordinate the two, she will lose her turn. Then the turn will pass to the next girl. Playing Bamboo jacks warms up the body and creates a lot of fun. During summer or autumn, this Vietnamese game is played everywhere from the shade of a village banyan tree to a deserted market stall.
Jump Rope (Nhảy Dây)
Jump Rope is a pretty simple game that is favored most by girls from elementary and junior high school. This game required a lot of running and jumping activities, thus; we should play this game on a large space plus flat surface without obstacles like the schoolyard, the playground, and the open field.
How to play Jump Rope:
Prepare a chain made of rubber bands. Two people will hold the two ends of the chain and stretch it out.
The easiest form of playing jump rope is jumping over the stretched rope and trying your best not to touch the rope. The height of the rope will increase gradually and those who can pass all stages are the winners.
The players can also make two parallel lines, a triangle or a square out of the rubber chain, and jump around the sides. This version of jump rope can be played by teams.
Other games
These are some of the most common and fascinating Vietnamese traditional folk games that you might encounter during your visit to Vietnam. They are not only fun and entertaining, but also educational and cultural. They can help you learn more about the Vietnamese people and their way of life. If you have the chance, you should try to play some of these games with the locals and enjoy the experience.
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