Bamboo Swings (Danh Du)
The game is most popular in the northern delta,
especially along the banks of the Duong River in Bac Ninh Province. Residents
in many villages around Hanoi, including the ancient capital of Co Loa, also
set up swings during spring festivals.
Villagers usually build their swings on a dry,
harvested rice paddy near a communal house. The area should be large enough for
spectators to stand around all four sides.
Swings and the associated games come in many kinds
and variations. However, the most common Vietnamese swings involve a wooden
platform, not a seat. One or two people stand on the platform and swing
themselves high in the air, even tens of meters, until their bodies are almost
parallel to the ground. Their goal is a prize hanging from the top of the
swing's frame.
The frame of the swing is constructed of solid
bamboo. The handles are also made of bamboo that is straight, without knots and
wide enough for a person's palm. The swing's platform must be close enough to
the ground that players can jump on easily.
To ensure safety, builders must choose the right
bamboo, for young bamboo is weak, while old bamboo is less elastic and tends to
break. They seal their completed frame with paper and invite an elderly
villager to check its quality. If the frame meets his standards, he will remove
the seal. With that, someone beats a drum. He clasps both hands in front of his
chest and bows to his fellow villagers. Then, on behalf of the community, he
opens the game.
Players should dress smartly and neatly. Boys wear
red purse-belts and girls greenish pulse-belts over traditional four-panel
dresses (tu than) and then headscarves so their hair won't come loose. Often a
boy and girl will swing together.
First, the couple steps onto the swing platform and
stands face to face. Then they press their feet against platform floor and bend
their knees. Gradually, the swing begins to move like a pendulum. The harder
they press, the higher the swing flies, as described in a poem by the
19th-century woman poet Ho Xuan Huong:
The
boy bends his knees
The girl bends her back
The four red panels of her skirt fly in the air
Two parallel lines of stretched legs.
At the height or their swinging, the two almost lie
on top of one another. The crowd cheers. As soon as the couple reaches the
highest point, one of the two will stretch out a hand and try to snatch the
prize. This is the most difficult part of the game, for it requires that both
players be calm, clever and acts as a team. They lose if they drop the prize.
The crowd is just as anxious, hoping the couple manages to secure the prize as
a reward for their long days of practice.
This type of swinging is not for those who get
dizzy!