There are in Phu Tho three places where the buffalo fighting are organized each year: Hoang Cuong, Phu Ninh, Chu Hoa among which the festival in Phu Ninh is the biggest.
The buffalo fighting festival in Phu Ninh commune is the oldest festival attached to the folklore of the inhabitants of the rice growing civilization with the belief symbolized by the buffaloes and the habit to kill crowned animals in order to offer to the divinity and to pray favorable time, good harvests. According to the legend, the generals of King Hung while going to hunting by this area saw two tigers fighting and disturbing the inhabitants. The king gave the order to besiege and kill the tigers on the spot. Thus after, in commemoration of King Hùng who killed the tigers to protect the village, the inhabitants organize the buffalo fighting festival.
According to the tradition, the day of Tết Đoan Ngọ (the double-five festival) on May 5th lunar, each of these four communes brings a buffalo "cà" (buffalo of all black fur and not yet emasculated) to the festival ground called Ham Rong market. The fighting ground is about 100 m2 broad and enclosed. The buffalo is washed clean and before entering the fighting, each one drinks a half liter of wine to get drunk and fight more extremely. Both losers will be killed as the sacrifice. As the ceremony takes place in the night, it is called the ceremony of darkness and the meat must be still raw. Both winners will be kept for the final, on October 10th. The festival finished, whether it is winner or loser, the buffaloes are killed to offer to the divinity and to treat the participants.
Phu Ninh commune is in the center of Bo Van Lang when kings Hung built the country. Thus several activities in the festival of Phu Ninh commune reflect the country construction history of the inhabitants of this agricultural area ancestral.
At that moment, Phu Ninh prepared also the banquet, the buffalo meat is exposed on the sheets spread out over a disc (bamboo braided disc, as a pot support) the banquet is presented in way "nine stages and seven sheets" on a square and flat ground to offer to the ground god on Ham Rong market. The ceremony of sacrifice finished, all villagers share the meal on the ground; they eat by the hand and drink together with only a scoop or a bowl; buffalo meat plunged in the salt. In fact, they are cultural events come from the real daily life of the inhabitants in the mountainous region.
