“Danh du” or Bamboo Swing

Đánh đu (Bamboo swing) is one of the popular traditional games in Vietnam’s Northern Delta in spring. It involves two people standing on the wooden platform and swinging as high as possible.

Bamboo swing came into existence in Vietnam long time ago in the Ly Dynasty. It’s often held during spring festivals.

Preparation

Swing is often built on a dry and large space so that spectators can stand around four sides.
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It consists of frames, handles, and platforms. The frame is made of solid bamboo. The handles which are also made of bamboo need to be straight, wide enough for a person’s palm, and no knot. The platforms need to be close enough to the ground so that players can easily jump on.

They also need to pick the right bamboo to ensure safety. While young bamboo is weak, old bamboo tends to break.

Rules

Two kinds of bamboo swing are single and couple swing. In couple swing, two people will stand on the swing platform, face to face. They will press their feet against platform then bend their knees. Then the swing will gradually move like a pendulum.
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The two players need to swing as high as possible. When they reach the highest point, one needs to stretch a hand to snatch the prize. This requires both players to be clever, and calm. They will lose if they drop the prize.oy of Vietnamese children
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