Top traditional games to try when travelling to Vietnam

1. Game of square (Ô ăn quan)

Walking around Hoan Kiem pedestrian area, you can find groups of people from all ages playing this game. Not only the Vietnamese but also a lot of foreign tourists have taken interest in Game of Square. Therefore, they sit down and watch the locals playing game with curious look. If you want to try Game of Square, here is a simple explanation for its rule.

Usually, there are at least 2 players in this game. They sit across from each other around a rectangle drawn on the ground. The rectangle has 2 semi circles at either end called “mandarin’s squares” and is divided into 10 small squares called “rice fields”.Each player has 25 small pebbles and a big stone. The big stone will be put in one mandarin’s box and 25 small pebbles will be distributed to 5 small squares with 5 pebbles filling one square. After everything is set, the game begins.

The first player will take up the pebbles in one small square of his side to distribute them one by one to the next square successively. After the last pebble is distributed, the player takes the pebbles of the following square and repeats the distribution process.

If the last pebble falls into a square that precedes one empty square, the player will win all the pebbles in the square following that empty one and remove all pebbles from the board. If there are more than two empty squares in a row, the turn will be handed to the other player. The game continues until the two mandarins' boxes have both been taken.

At the end of the game, the player will calculate the points they earn with one pebble counting as 1 point and one big stone counting as 10 points. The player that earns more point is the winner.

The game is simple, yet not easy to predict. You have to count on your calculating abilities, forethought and a little luck in order to win. That is why the game still excites not only young children but also those at older ages.

If you want to try playing this game, take a walk around Hoan Kiem pedestrian area and you will find a lot of locals playing there. What you have to do then is to take a seat, observe and ask a local to partner with you. The experience you might gain will surely be a refreshing and unforgettable memory of your Vietnam private tour.

Foreign tourists enjoy playing Game of Square with the locals in Vietnam (photo credit: en.nhandan.com.vn)

2. Kite Flying (Thả Diều)

Kite Flying is well-known as a long-standing cultural value in Vietnam. There is even a thousand-year-old kite making in Hanoi – Ba Duong Noi Village, evidencing the deep impact this game has left on the lives of Vietnamese people.

It is worth noting that the kite Vietnamese people commonly use is Flute Kite (Diều Sáo) – the kite that make music. This type of kite is not widely recognized outside Vietnam, even among kite flyers but it is popular nationwide.

To Vietnamese people, the image of a flying kite over the green fields and the sound of the flute is the reminiscence of their countryside hometowns – where there are spacious rice paddies and little boys lulled to sleep while tending their buffalo.

Every year, a large number of kite flying competitions are held from the North to South of Vietnam that attract hundreds of locals to participate in. Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Sai Gon are where the competitions are anticipated the most.

Even when there are no competitions or festivals, the Vietnamese still fly their flute kites in the late afternoon before the sunset in the summer. Therefore, there are chances that you might encounter beautifully designed flying kites on your Vietnam vacations in this season.

If you want to try this game, you can be assured that flying a flute kite is not difficult. Normally, there will be 2 people flying one kite: One person holds the flying string while the other takes the kite and runs into the wind until the wind lifts the kite. And when the kite flies high, both of them just need to adjust its position if necessary to make sure the kite stays above the land.

Flute kite flying is a long-standing cultural value of Vietnam (photo credit: vnexpress.net)

3. Tug of war (Kéo co)

Tug of war is a game that people at all ages can take part in. It helps promote the strength, teamwork, and raise 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 icons recognized by UNESCO in 2015.

Among Vietnamese traditional games, Tug of war remains one of a few widely popularized folk games that are still regularly held in contemporary life. 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 the unity, joy and community harmony.

This game is very popular in Hoan Kiem pedestrian area. If you have the chance, you should pay a visit to this zone and be engaged in the game “tug of war”. It might be your fist communication signal between you and the locals there, which will leave a strong impression on you of how friendly the Vietnamese can be and how much fun the game can bring. It is definitely a must-try on your Vietnam travel package!

Tug of War - the most popular folk games in the contemporary life of Vietnamese people (photo credit: vnexpress.net)

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