Water Buffalo in Vietnamese Life & Culture

Firstly, the water buffalo is the best friend, one of the most valuable properties of Vietnamese farmers who have cultivated rice for thousands of years. According to some historians, Vietnamese people domesticated it about 5,000 years ago. The one in Vietnam is swamp type. It’s used to plow the soil in flooded fields, before seeding. In recent decades, local farmers chose plough to save time and labour, but in the mountains or small & far fields, the buffalo is still the only way. When the rice has been growing, farmers can use its dung as fertilizer. After harvesting, it’s used to carry packs of rice, and dry straw is used to feed it when fresh grass is not enough, especially in the winter. It can carry other things when needed thanks to its strength.

Because of its important role in agriculture, Vietnamese kings banned eating or killing the water buffalo (from 11st to 15th centuries).  

Water buffalo is one of six most popular animals raised by Vietnamese people. 5 other animals are dog, horse, pig, cow, and goat.

Vietnamese people eat buffalo meat, and have some delicious dishes, such as smoked buffalo meat (thit trau gac bep), buffalo meat stir fried with betel leaf (thit trau xao la lot). However, this kind of meat is not too popular in Vietnamese daily meals (beef is more used).

Water buffalo’s horn is used to make flutes in Viet communities as well as tribal communities in Vietnam’s mountainous regions. If seeing the Teh Dar show or Vietnamese bamboo circus, visitors can watch performances or hear the music from buffalo horn flutes. Lots of people decorate the horns in their houses or tombs.

Water buffalo’s leather is used to make drums in Vietnam. The first drum was created in 986 when Le Dai Hanh king did ‘Field-ploughing ceremony’ or Tich Dien ceremony at Doi Tam village, Ha Nam province. He aimed to encourage local agriculture to grow. Know-how of making drums is passed down from father to son, and the boys start learning from age of 10. Today, there are about 62 workshops and 500 persons continuing this long-standing craft.

Water buffalo is one of 12 zodiac animals in Vietnamese culture (called ‘Suu’). Those who are borned in the year of the buffalo, have a persistent, hard-working, diligent, and strong personality. Famous ‘buffalo’ persons are Le Loi (a king and founder of Le dynasty in 15th century), Ly Thuong Kiet (a military general, author of Nam Quoc Son Ha poem or Vietnam’s first declaration of indepence in 11st century), Le Hoan (king of Vietnam in 10th century), so on. In the zodiac calendar, the buffalo is the second, after the rat (1st zodiac animal) and before the tiger (3rd zodiac animal).

In Vietnamese traditional timekeeping, the period from 1 to 3 am is called ‘the buffalo hour’, after ‘the mouse hour’ from 11 pm-1 am, and before ‘the tiger hour’ from 3 to 5 am. Personality of those who are borned in this hour will be hard-working, consistent, friendly, and lucky.

Kim Nguu or ‘Golden buffalo’ is one of 28 mansions in traditional Chinese/Vietnamese constellations.

There is a Vietnamese folk story about the presence of water buffalo in the country. Once upon a time, people did not have enough food to eat. To help, the Heaven God sends two bags, the red one with rice seeds and the green one with grass seeds to a god. He also reminds that man that the rice is planted for humans, and the grass is for animals. However, because of lots of beautiful and interesting things on the way descending to the Earth, the man forgets the note and use grass seeds to plant in the fields. To punish, the Heaven God turns him into a buffalo which has to work hard to help people to cultivate rice, and has to eat the grass to live.

Water buffalo fighting festival was held in some places in northern Vietnam during the year. The most well-known one is in Do Son district, Hai Phong. According to local people, it firstly occured in 11st century, in the reign of Ly Thanh Tong king’s reign. The festival date is the 9th day of the 8th lunar month. The origin of this festival is that a very long time ago, local people saw two buffalos fighting in a temple for worship of god waters. Since then, they have organized it to pray for good weather and safe travels on the sea. To fight, the buffalo must be strong and have a good look. After the final match, all buffalos are killed, and their meat will be used to sacrify.

Water buffalo is one of three most special animals to sacrifice to the gods in Vietnamese culture. Two others are a pig and a goat.

Water buffalo is thought to be Vietnam’s national animal. In 2003, ‘golden buffalo’ was chosen to be mascot for the 22nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) that first ever took place in Vietnam.