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Clay firecrackers boom at Con Son – Kiep Bac Spring Festival

Hai Phong News • 08/03/2026 - 13:54

Resounding blasts from clay firecrackers, mixed with drumbeats and cheers from spectators, have enlivened the atmosphere of the spring festival at the Con Son–Kiep Bac Heritage Site.

phao-dat5(1).jpg — Small clay firecrackers are simpler in design and smaller than the large ones.

The heritage site has been more vibrant than ever during the spring festivities with the resounding sounds of clay firecrackers, accompanied by rhythmic drums and enthusiastic applause from crowds of visitors.

The first Hai Phong Clay Firecracker Festival is not only a distinctive cultural and sporting event but also a long-standing folk game of the northern Red River Delta.

phao-dat8_1(1).jpg — Vu Dinh Tien, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presents awards to teams winning the boat-shaped clay firecracker with an internal frame category at the first Hai Phong Clay Firecracker Festival 2026.

Longest firecracker strings

In the small firecracker category, thrower Dinh Van Thu from Truong Tan commune impressed spectators with a firecracker string measuring 25.3 ‘thuoc’ (one thuoc equals 40cm under the festival’s scoring rules).

According to Thu, achieving the result required the team’s firecracker throwers to train regularly, paying attention to every stage, from sourcing and processing the clay to shaping the firecracker and perfecting the throwing posture.

In the large firecracker events, competitors continued to deliver exciting performances. In the boat-shaped firecracker category, Nguyen Van Nhan from Vinh Lai commune won the championship with a length of 28.2 ‘thuoc’.

Meanwhile, in the boat-shaped firecracker with a “spine” category, Nguyen Van Trong from Vinh Bao commune won first prize with a firecracker string measuring 9.96 meters.

phao-dat3(1).jpg — Firecracker throwers from Vinh Thinh commune with the boat-shaped clay firecracker.

New highlight at the festival

One notable highlight of the first Hai Phong Clay Firecracker Festival was the introduction of the boat-shaped firecracker with an internal frame— an oval-shaped clay firecracker resembling a boat.

phao-dat1(1).jpg — Firecracker throwers at the festival.

According to the organizing committee, this type of firecracker differs in both construction and competition techniques compared with the small firecracker and the boat-shaped whithout internal frame version.

A single boat-shaped firecracker with an internal frame weighs around 45 kilograms and measures roughly 115 cm by 70 cm.

A folk game that binds communities

The first Hai Phong Clay Firecracker Festival in 2026 drew 210 firecracker throwers and 28 referees from seven localities with long-standing traditions of the game across the city, including Vinh Lai, Tu Ky, Vinh Bao, Vinh Thinh, Tan Ky, Tan An and Truong Tan.

dscf1811(1).jpg — The clay firecracker game always attracts large crowds of visitors.

Pham Van Dung, aged 76, from Tan An commune said clay firecrackers have long been a traditional pastime in the locality. Tan An alone now has four firecracker teams with hundreds of participants.

Aside from major festivals, teams regularly practice at local cultural houses to preserve techniques and pass on experience to younger generations.

Clay firecrackers are not only a folk game featured at traditional festivals but also a collective activity reflecting martial spirit and community solidarity. For that reason, each thunderous blast also spreads a sense of pride across the entire community during the festive days of early spring.

Hai Phong News