Buzz
Summer is here, and so is the season of ground-shaking fireworks in Ninh Giang district, Hai Duong province. From the beginning to the end of the village, the festive sounds of explosive displays resonate joyfully.
Summer Travel: Vibrant Fireworks Extravaganza
The people of Ninh Giang choose the holidays on April 30th and May 1st to organize a festival, as it allows for an extended break and increases the likelihood of more family members returning to the village to participate. The festival is organized in each hamlet, with scoring, and the winning team advances to the district-level competition.
The prize for the winning team is simply a commemorative flag along with a couple of hundred thousand dong. Nevertheless, the festival is lively, vibrant, and, above all, fun!
In Tan Phong commune, even before the end of April, the villagers are already bustling with preparations for the fireworks festival. In places like Xo village, there are two competing teams, each consisting of around ten members.
In the bustling village of Bell, the artillery enthusiasts even have their own uniforms. The crowd at the viewing stands is as tight as can be, making it a challenge to move around.
During the final days of April to the beginning of May, when the sun is scorching, the youth set up a makeshift theater in the village temple. The elder members allocate tasks for each participant.
Some are in charge of organizing, while others handle logistics. Throughout the village, from the upper neighborhoods to the lower ones, along the rough red brick road, sporadic sounds of fireworks echo along with cheers.
On the afternoon of April 30th, the hamlets in Xo village, belonging to Tan Phong, begin to set off fireworks, just like in Bell village and Xa village. The preparations, such as setting up the theater, securing the land, and registering for the competition, have been underway for several days.
On the morning of the competition day, the artillery crews send representatives to collect the required land. The soil for making fireworks must be a mixture of chicken and buffalo liver, with a glossy pink hue. When squeezed with water, it should become extremely elastic.
Once the soil is collected, a pickaxe or steel wire is used to cut the moistened soil into tiny pieces. These are then mixed, kneaded with feet or hands, cut again, and kneaded once more. The process of preparing the soil continues until it becomes genuinely pliable and smooth.
To create a firecracker for play, one needs... 30kg of soil, sometimes up to 50kg. Every village must prepare at least 20 of them.
When shaping the firecracker, people sprinkle ash on the ground (like flour to prevent sticking) and then pound, cut, shape, mold, and trim to form an oval-shaped firecracker. The nose of the firecracker is smaller than the neck, and the middle part is thicker on both sides.
Firework makers use wet cloth to wipe the edges of the firecracker, using both hands to press the firecracker evenly, called raising the core. After pressing the core, the firework maker uses a knife or a sharp piece of bamboo to deeply notch the groove of the core to break it completely. Then, press the soil over the notched area to seal the core.
In the nose part of the firecracker, the firework maker cuts a long line about 5cm, called cutting the core, where the core of the firecracker bursts out. After cutting the core, the person making the firecracker adjusts the firecracker for balance one last time and prepares to sow the firecracker.
A standard firecracker must have a size that is just right (compared to the amount of soil used), the core part fits perfectly, is round, the belly (center of the firecracker) slightly protrudes, and the groove dividing the belly and the core of the firecracker must be smooth. A skilled firework maker is someone who creates a beautiful firecracker shape and can sow the firecracker accurately.
The principle of sowing a firecracker is stability and balance. When preparing to sow, only one firework maker supports the firecracker. The firework maker's feet stand squarely with two shoulders, the elbow is close to the stomach, and both hands are spread out to support the belly of the firecracker and keep it balanced.
When sowing, the firework maker holds their breath and releases the firecracker onto the table. Sowing too forcefully, too lightly, or throwing it too vigorously... all can result in a 'bip' firecracker, meaning it fizzes, doesn't explode, or the firecracker's belt doesn't fly off.
The score for a firecracker is counted when it falls to the ground with the body still intact, and both firecracker belts fly off to the sides but do not detach from the firecracker body.
The length of the starting and ending points of both belts will determine the points the firework team receives. Watching firework makers may seem easy, but in reality, it requires absolute cleverness and firmness.
On the festival day, young and old from the village gather to encircle and watch the fireworks. Each team has about ten firework makers participating.
The scoring principle for a round is whichever side has the total length measured from the starting point to the ending point of the longer firecracker belt wins. Teams play five rounds, and the team with more victories overall wins.
Every year, the festival is organized just for the children in the village to have a place for fun, socializing, and learning. According to Mr. Pham Van Tien, a veteran from Xo village, the firework festival has existed since the time of the Trung Sisters with the aim of entertainment and honing hand skills.
However, nowadays, there are not many places that regularly organize festivals anymore. On the other hand, the urbanization process is gradually narrowing natural land, making it challenging to find chicken or buffalo gizzards to make firecrackers.
Every time a firecracker is about to be sown, everyone, whether molding the firecracker or sitting in a circle watching, gathers to witness it firsthand. Cheers like 'Sow it!', 'Keep going!' or 'Go for it!' resound throughout the courtyard.
The firecracker touches the ground, a resounding 'Boom' echoes, and the two firecracker belts spring out, extending gracefully. The experienced judges quickly rush to measure the length of the firecracker belts to score.
Adults also enthusiastically participate, shouting and cheering, not much different from the children. A few kids, eager to join, pull together to a corner, excitedly shaping and molding. In just a few years, they will be the new firework makers.
I appreciate the heartfelt words of an elderly gentleman: 'Every year, the commune organizes, even if it's not on a grand scale, to preserve the tradition. The descendants in the village, even those who have become directors, still come back to roll up their pants and mold the soil.'
According to Doanh Nhân Sài Gòn
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourApril 29, 2016
