Mud Banger (Pháo đất), also known as pháo nổ, pháo nang, an extremely unique folk game with a long history in the Northern Delta, was formed during the process of embankment to prevent floods.
People uses a firecracker made of high viscosity soil such as clay. The soil is increased plasticity and smoothness by kneading many times so that when molded, the strength of the wall or bottom in places of similar thickness is relatively equal. In case the soil is too dry, add more water when kneading and squeezing. The thickness of the bottom must be at a level suitable for its area, so that when it explodes, it will make a loud noise and a crack at the bottom is moderate. The wall of mud banger should be in a flat surface so that it fit with the ground. In many competitions, when making big mud banger, people make the wall’s edge like baskets. The banger is usually shaped like a pan with no handles or an oval shape with walls are thicker than the bottom with flexible dimensions. Players unleashes the banger by holding it in such a way that the bottom of the banger is in contact with the palm of the hand and then pushes it down so that the rim is in contact with the surface of the playing field. This technique requires high precision so that the plane of the rim is in even contact with the surface of the playing field to create a loud bang, if the contact angle is not correct, the banger will clump into a lump of earth, not explode. When the banger hits the ground, the high pressure of the air inside the banger when compressed will break its bottom into an explosion.
Before playing, players often shout out loud: pháo nổ, pháo nang, cả làng chịu chưa? then breathe air into the muzzle. The breathing activity means that player wish for their banger to explode. If the game is divided into two groups, after one group has called out as above, when it comes to the other's turn, they will shout out loud "not yet!", meaning their banger will explode louder. Players who have their banger explode louder, bigger bottom break, they win.
Playing Mug banger in the space of Co Loa Citadel built from the Au Lac period (3rd century BC) is a unique experience that any visitors should not miss when visiting the Co Loa Vestige Site.
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF COLOA VESTIGE SITE
