Pham Quoc Dung

Quang Ninh, known for its expansive beaches and majestic mountains, is home to many ethnic minority groups. The region is rich in the cultural traditions of communities like the Tay, Dao, San Diu, San Chi, Dao Thanh Y, and Dao Thanh Phan. Spring ushers in a vibrant festival season across the area. Photographer Pham Quoc Dung takes us to the Highlands of Quang Ninh province to capture the women’s football festival celebrated by these ethnic minorities in the early days of spring.

A crowd gathers to watch women play football in Huc Dong Commue, Binh Lieu

Female football players are admired for their sportsmanship and dedication to health, but seeing them play in traditional attire, including skirts, is especially striking. Despite the challenges of running and making powerful kicks, they remain undeterred, their unique appearance adding to the spectacle of every game. Each match highlights their grace and inner strength, captivating spectators. As a result, tournaments held in various highland communes and districts of Quang Ninh are gaining popularity among tourists and are emerging as a unique tourist attraction.

Wearing dresses does not impede these female players

The border district of Binh Lieu is regarded as the cradle of ethnic minority women’s football. Huc Dong commune is the hub of women’s football in the region, with six clubs from different hamlets drawing numerous female players for training and district-level competitions. After long hours working in the fields or making vermicelli—a traditional craft of the San Chi people—women come together to play football to relax and improve their health. They share that playing in traditional attire uplifts their spirits and celebrates their ethnic heritage.

At the start of the year, tournaments bring together teams from various ethnic groups, including the Tay, Kinh, Dao Thanh Y, and San Chi women, recognizable by their distinctive headscarves. These matches promote healthy habits and showcase these borderland women’s unity, strength, and confidence.

The football pitch lies near the fields

Bang Ca, a highland commune in Ha Long City that shares its name with a local village, has also seen significant growth in women’s football. On the first day of the second lunar month, the community holds its most important festival, praying for good weather, abundant harvests, family health, and peace for the village.

The solemn rituals are followed by a vibrant festival with competitions like crossbow-shooting, volleyball, tug-of-war, stick-pushing, stilt-walking, and ball-throwing. The main highlight, eagerly anticipated by everyone, is the women’s football tournament featuring teams from the Tay, Dao Thanh Y, and Dao Thanh Phan ethnic groups.

Each team competes in vibrant traditional attire, passionately playing amidst cheers from villagers and visitors alike. The intense matches, with women sprinting across the field, create a lively and joyful atmosphere at this early spring festival. This event not only celebrates local culture but also adds a distinctive charm to the highland regions of Quang Ninh province.