Thua Thien-Hue calls for funding for controversial buffalo stabbing festival
>> Lam Dong bans buffalo sacrifices
>> Hanoi cancels Phuc Tho Buffalo Fighting Festival
While many localities are calling for an end to the brutal killing of buffaloes at festivals, local authorities in Thua Thien-Hue Province's Hong Tien Commune have announced a plan for their traditional Buffalo Stabbing Festival.
A man stabs a buffalo at the traditional Buffalo Stabbing Festival 2008 in Hong Tien Commune, Huong Tra Town, Thua Thien-Hue Province
Chairman of Hong Tien Commune People's Committee, Le Van Hoa said on August 28 that they are collecting money from local people to organise the festival this November.
According to the official, the festival was a cultural heritage of the Pa-Hy ethnic group in the region.
"The Buffalo Stabbing Festival used to be held every five years but due to some difficulties, we decided to organise it every ten years," Hoa said. "The last festival was held in November 2008 and we are now calling on local households to contribute VND300,000 (USD13) each to help continue our cultural festival this year."
The plan, however, is facing with opposition from local people who said that they are still poor and do not have the money for such an event.
Meanwhile, chairman of Huong Tra Town, Nguyen Xuan Ty said on August 29 that they have asked Hong Tien Commune to suspend the Buffalo Stabbing Festival 2018 and return the money to local people following complaints from some local households and direction from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"Only 50 out of 347 households in the commune have sent money to support the festival and they will get it back," Ty said, adding that there's no regulation about collecting money from people to organise cultural festivals, let alone something as controversial as buffalo stabbing."
The festival used to be held regularly at some other remote mountainous districts in Thua Thien-Hue including A Luoi and Nam Dong but now is stopped following a call to end festivals that involved the killing of animals from the culture ministry.
The authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have also issued a ban on the buffalo sacrifices which used to be popular at traditional festivals.
In 2016, Dak Lak’s authorities decided to replace the traditional buffalo stabbing ceremony at annual Buon Don Elephant Racing Festival with a symbolic ritual as part of an effort to stop violent activities at festivals.
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