2026年2月28日、ハノイ郊外のライイエン村で、村の集会所前の池に放たれた30羽のアヒルを若者たちが素手で捕まえる、正月恒例の行事が行われた。February 28, 2026 — In Lai Yen village on the edge of Hanoi, young men plunged into the pond in front of the communal house to catch 30 released ducks by hand, an annual lunar-new-year ritual.

In front of the communal house in Lai Yen village, Hoai Duc district on Hanoi's outskirts, the village's annual duck-catching contest drew a dense crowd around the pond on the afternoon of February 28 — the 12th day of the lunar new year — amid drumming and cheering.

Organizers released 30 ducks into the pond this year. Teams of three young men, shirtless or in shorts, plunged into the cold water on a signal to chase down and catch the ducks. The time limit was shortened this year to eight minutes per team, down from the customary fifteen.

Anyone who catches a duck gets to keep it as a prize and also receives prize money. For residents of Lai Yen, the contest is more than a new-year diversion — it carries wishes for favourable rain, green fields, and healthy children and grandchildren.

The tradition is said to span hundreds of years, passed down through generations, with some families having three generations take part.