In Son La, Vietnam, the vibrant tradition of the cloth ball throwing festival, known locally as the "Con" ball festival, brings together hundreds of participants seeking good fortune.

The cloth ball, deeply rooted in cultural beliefs, symbolizes the soul of the mountain, river, land, and water. Crafted from red, black, blue, and white fabric, it holds spiritual significance for the community.

Leading up to the festival, skilled artisans meticulously prepare shuttlecocks adorned with colorful fabric strips, representing prosperity and abundance. These shuttlecocks are filled with rice, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, and cotton seeds, each symbolizing the desire for growth and nourishment.

Central to the festivities is the towering tree structure, crafted from apricot bamboo trunks, reaching heights of around 20 meters. At its peak, an arc of red paper signifies good luck, while a basket awaits below for participants to aim and toss their cloth balls into, marking the joyful culmination of the celebration.

Video captured the moment of Hundreds of people participate in a cloth ball throwing festival for good luck in Son La, Vietnam.
The cloth ball is called the "Con" ball.
According to the beliefs of the people here, the cloth ball represents the soul of the mountain, the soul of the river, the soul of the land and the soul of water. That's why the ball is always made of red, black, blue and white fabric. Right before the shuttlecock throwing festival, skillful girls prepare shuttlecocks with many colorful, red and blue fabric strips sewn together. Inside the fruit, they stuff rice, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, and cotton seeds. These grains represent the desire to proliferate, rice feeds people.
The tree is also made from apricot bamboo trunks with a height of about 20 m depending on people's choice. The top of the tree is also bent into an arc with red paper attached, and a basket is hung above it so people can toss it into the basket.