The buffalo in Vietnamese culture

le kIm

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.

The 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 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 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

Buffalo fighting in Do Son, Hai Phong City

example securities, real estate and the like -- in the past people used to save in the form of buffaloes.

Rich families stocked healthy buffaloes for trading and tilling. The Vietnamese proverb “con trau la dau co nghiep” (Having a buffalo allows one to start a business) stems from this practice, suggesting this animal was the cornerstone for a prosperous society.

It is not known exactly when the creature was first domesticated but buffalo fossils dating back tens of thousands of years have been found in caves in Lang Son, Hoa Binh Provinces in the north and Ha Tinh in the central region. Bovine bones have also been unearthed in Hai Phong, Hanoi, and Phu Tho. Archeologists think the Vietnamese started to domesticate buffaloes 5,000-6,000 years ago.

Clay statues of buffaloes are among the earliest artworks ever found in Vietnam, with many sculpted before the Common Era. Today, well-off families like to hang buffalo heads and horns on walls as mementos of days past when their ancestors depended so much on these noble animals for survival.

Buffaloes have also appeared in Vietnamese literature, fairy tales, photography, paintings and movies. One cultural activity related to buffalo is the annual "Buffalo Fighting Festival" held in Do Son, Hai Phong province. It forms the intersection between farming and fishing culture and is attached to a water worshipping ceremony, in which fishermen state their hope to be successful and safe during their forthcoming trips at sea. The Buffalo is the second animal in the Vietnamese Zodiac animal system. People born in the year of the buffalo are deemed diligent, trustworthy, strong, and decisive. They have a strong sense of patriotism for their country, ambition for life, and emphasise the significance of family and career. Because they tend to be ambitious and patient, they often reach their goals through steady effort. Factors such as the environment or other people cannot influence them as they always stick to their ideas and use their competence. However, people born in the year of the buffalo may face some challenges due to their relatively poor communication skills.