The Mong’s Yen Badminton Festival

Yến badminton is believed to have originated from a story about a boy from Heaven who fell in love with a girl while on a trip to Earth. They would often play yến badminton together.

In this game, players toss the yến shuttlecock and hit it back and forth with wooden rackets. It is purely an exercise and does not involve competition, rules, winners, or losers. Yến badminton is particularly popular among ethnic groups, especially the Mong in Quan Ba district, Ha Giang province.

“The Mong in Ha Giang province have many folk games, such as spinning tops, stick pushing, and tug-of-war, but their favorite is yến badminton, and anyone can play it,” says Vang Ngoc Xuan of Thanh Van commune.

The lightweight yet sturdy rackets, made of pine wood, produce a joyful sound when hitting the shuttlecock. Playing yến badminton helps improve strength, speed, and coordination.

People play yến badminton at the Mong Culture Festival.

Vuong Thi Sim, also from Thanh Van commune, shares her preparations for festivals and New Year celebrations, which include new clothes, new rackets, and new shuttlecocks.

Sim provides tips on making rackets and shuttlecocks.

“To make the yến shuttlecock fly high and spin beautifully, we attach 5 to 7 chicken feathers to a piece of bamboo tube. For the racket, we use a wooden board measuring 35 to 40cm in length and 25 to 30cm in width. The racket has a handle attached to a flat circular disc,” she explains.

In spacious yards, people of all ages come together to play yến badminton as a way to make friends and strengthen community bonds. According to tradition, if a boy and a girl can hit the yến shuttlecock for more than 10 minutes without dropping it on the ground, they are seen as predestined for each other and might even become husband and wife.

“Both young and old people can play yến badminton, and this game brings people closer together during the spring festivals,” says Sim.

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