lifestyle
Le Ki m
The buffalo
in Vietnamese culture
Buffaloes are integral to the work of Vietnamese farmers and as such are a traditional symbol of Vietnam. Buffaloes play a very important role in Vietnamese culture.
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he Vietnamese were traditionally agricultural people living mainly off wet rice, which needs consistently soft soil in which to grow. Since time immemorial, the water buffalo has helped farmers with their most physically demanding tasks: tilling the land and towing the harvest. For this reason, buffaloes have come to represent rural Vietnam and are an important symbol throughout the culture. The buffalo symbolises industriousness, kindness, patience and loyalty. Farmers often use the animals to pull plows
Buffalo fighting in Do Son, Hai Phong City
in the rice fields. While many other countries utilise modern technology for more efficient plowing, it is difficult to apply such automation in some parts of Vietnam. For example, in the northern region of Vietnam most fields are located on hills or mountains and the
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field size is quite small, meaning only buffaloes can work these fields. Here farmers also use buffalo as pack animals to carry crops and heavy loads for them. While these days savings have become based in finance and property – for
