Preserving the unique cultural heritage of Do Son sea area
On June 17, Do Son Ward People's Committee organized a conference to provide information about the Do Son Traditional Buffalo Fighting Festival - VTV 2026.
The Do Son buffalo fighting festival originated from the belief in worshiping the god Diem Tuoc Dai Vuong, associated with the cultural and spiritual life of the coastal residents of Do Son for many centuries. Through the formation and development process, the festival has become a unique cultural activity, reflecting the martial spirit, courage and aspiration for a peaceful and prosperous life of the local people.
After being restored from 1990, the festival has been continuously maintained and perfected in terms of organizational scale but still retains its traditional values. In 2012, the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In 2026, the festival is organized in two rounds according to tradition and the heritage dossier has been approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The qualifying round takes place from July 14 to 22, 2026, in which the festival part is held from 7:30 am on July 21 at Do Son ward central stadium. The final round takes place from September 11 to 26, 2026, the official festival part starts at 7:30 am on September 19 at Do Son ward central stadium.
This year, there are a total of 32 "buffaloes" participating in the competition. After the qualifying round, 16 winning buffaloes will continue to the final round to compete for the championship.
New and outstanding points of the 2026 festival
The most prominent new point of the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival 2026 is the full organization of two rounds including the qualifying round and the final round according to tradition, instead of focusing only on the final round as in previous years.
The organizing committee also amended and supplemented the festival regulations with many new contents. Accordingly, the number of participating buffaloes is specified as 32 buffaloes; the allocation of registration slots between communal houses and temples is carried out publicly and transparently. Especially, for pairs of buffaloes entering the arena but not competing, the time to monitor before deciding the winner by drawing is increased from 5 minutes to 10 minutes.
The final round is expected to be broadcast live to serve a large audience nationwide. To ensure safety and enhance the experience for viewers, the organizers will install larger LED screens, arranged in a convenient location outside the stadium to serve tourists who cannot enter the stadium to watch live. The fence system, buffalo escape gates, and escape routes are also reinforced and upgraded to ensure absolute safety throughout the festival.
Regarding the prize structure, the organizers plan to award the First Prize worth 100 million VND, the Second Prize 70 million VND, and two Third Prizes each worth 30 million VND. In addition, there are many sub-prizes for buffaloes participating in the festival.
With innovations in organization and preserving traditional values, the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival 2026 is expected to continue to be an attractive cultural and tourist highlight, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to Hai Phong.
