The cù throwing festival in Cam Pho village (Gio Linh commune, Quang Tri province) takes place on the first day of spring after the Lunar New Year holiday. After the festival, people will prepare for a new production season. This festival has a history from the 15th century, associated with village regulations and marks the important moment of lowering the Neu pole.
Before the festival part begins, the elders organize solemn rituals, praying to the gods to bless the villagers with a new year of favorable weather and abundant harvests. The simple but solemn ritual takes place in the space of white sand and strong winds, a sacred bridge between people and heaven and earth.
When the drum beats, the official festival part begins. Strong, agile young men are divided into two teams to compete and coordinate to throw the cù ball into the opponent's basket. The cù ball, the soul of the festival, is made of banana root, about 20cm in diameter, weighing from 3.6 - 3.8kg and is grilled evenly to increase durability. Each festival season has three cù balls, symbolizing three rounds of fighting, each round lasting 30 minutes.
The competition field is about 1,000m2 wide, leveled on a sand dune. Two 5m high bamboo trees at both ends of the field, each hanging a basket with a diameter of about 40cm. The rules are simple, the team that throws the cù ball into the basket will win, the match ends immediately. It is this "one-time decision" factor that makes each shot tense and dramatic.
In the resounding cheers, the teams constantly competed fiercely. The sand field subsided, the ball was heavy, the distance was far, and the small basket hanging high made hitting the target a real challenge. There were years when the festival ended after three rounds without any team succeeding, but there were also years, like Tet At Ty 2025, the ball suddenly fell into the basket amidst the village's burst of joy.
Mr. Le Xuan Ninh, Village Head of Cam Pho, shared that every year when someone throws a cù ball into a basket, people are very excited. According to folk beliefs, a throw that hits a basket is not only the team's victory, but also a good omen, signaling a smooth year with favorable crops.
Cam Pho village, formed and developed in Quang Tri land for more than five centuries, has 245 households and more than 900 people. Although in the modern pace of life, the cù throwing festival is still maintained regularly, becoming a unique cultural highlight of the locality. This festival is not only a folk game but also has profound meaning. The cù thrown high is like sending a wish to overcome difficulties, and the high basket is the destination of the aspiration for prosperity.
