HA NOI — Pig racing will take place everyday from now to February 24 in Muong Chau Village, Ba Vi District on the outskirts of Ha Noi.

The Hanoi Paragon Hill Resort will host the spring festival with a traditional market and games. Tourists will have the chance to try peanut candy, grilled rice paper and Tet specialities such as bamboo sprout soup, banh chung (square glutinous rice), pork rolls, pickled onions, boiled chicken and spring rolls.

Not only children but adults can also enjoy traditional games such as tug-of-war, water puppetry and printing Dong Ho folk paintings.

Everyday, the festival features the traditional music of cheo (traditional operreta), xam (blind wanderers’ music) and hat xoan (spring singing).

The highlight of the festival was the pig racing, according to Nguyen Tien Son, a representative of the organiser.

“The activity aims to honour the Year of Pig. It’s also an effort to revive and preserve traditional games.”

“People criticise the violence of traditional festivals where pigs or buffaloes are slaughtered. We’re organising pig races to create an exciting atmosphere and honour a fine tradition.”

Tourists are also flocking to the festival to enjoy the 3.5ha rose garden with 600,000 trees. Son said it took two years to plant the trees. He wants to build a tourist site with beautiful scenery combined with cultural activities.

Located 50km from the city centre, the site has been recognised by the Viet Nam Book of Records as the largest rose garden in the country. — VNS