Wood rackets of rooster feather badminton (photo: baosonla.org.vn)

Most folk games, such as throwing the pao and con ball, are played during the day. Hitting rooster feather balls is a night game for boys and girls. It’s similar to badminton, but the rules are different. 

Giang A Hoa of Long Luong commune talks about how to make rooster feather shuttlecocks and rackets.

“We use feathers from a rooster’s wings, which are the most beautiful feathers. The cork is a piece of ivory bamboo about 3-5 cm long. We glue 5 feathers evenly around the cork to make it fly farther. The racquet is made of soft wood about 20cm wide and 25cm long with a 10 cm handle,” A Hoa said.

Mong people play rooster feather badminton on a field, or in a communal house on windy days. In the past, it was a game for maiden girls. 

“Hitting the feather shuttlecock is played by mixed couples or by male and female teams. They set rules before the game for the number of points needed to win and what the losers must do – for example, sing a song. Mong boys and girls often bring their own feather shuttlecocks and rackets to the game. Some of them maybe attracted to each other and later go on a date," Giang A Hoa said. 

After playing with their teams, if a boy and a girl like each other, they might separate to play as a pair to give them more time to talk. Giang A Sang of Van Ho district said: “We often play feather badminton at festivals and New Year holidays. At a festival, the band plays lively tunes on flutes, panpipes, and two-string fiddles. It’s an old game and we still play it enthusiastically. Boys and girls have a chance to meet each other and a boy can profess his love.”

When a boy sings a song to express his love, the girl will sing her response. One lyric might be: “If you are already in love, if you are already passionately in love, then you and I will go out and play a feather game and sing." 

When they agree to play the feather game and sing with each other, they are officially dating.