Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bolivia Macha Tinku

Tinku

A giant, bloody battle rages throughout the Bolivian Andes each year.

Macha, Bolivia

Added By
Dylan Thuras
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Live shot, mid-tinku   Arnd Zschocke via Guttorm Flatabø on Flickr
Blood on the ground means it’s tinku time!   Arnd Zschocke via Guttorm Flatabø on Flickr
Men on the fringes of the melee   Arnd Zschocke via Guttorm Flatabø on Flickr
A casualty Macha’s tinku combat or chica… possibly both   Arnd Zschocke via Guttorm Flatabø on Flickr
Crowds packing Macha ready for tinku   Arnd Zschocke via Guttorm Flatabø on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the Bolivian Aymara tradition, tinku has its origins in a ritualistic form of combat dating back to the time of the Spanish Conquistadors, who arrived in the region of Potosí and enslaved the indigenous population. Not one to give up dancing in the face of oppression, since that day tinku has proved the cathartic exercise of choice for the Aymara and Quechua peoples.

Tinku continues to be wildly popular throughout the Andes, taking place each year in the early weeks of May. Nowhere is this more true than in the Potosí region of Bolivia. Within this area, the farming community of Santiago de Macha — or simply "Macha" for short — has the most notoriously bloody incarnation, where upwards of 3,000 participants file into the city during the Festival de la Cruz each year.

Fueled by alcohol and the corn brew chicha, to say Macha's modern tinku gets "a little rough" is an understatement. Wearing bright costumes, sandals, and helmet-like hats made of leather, there's a reason the men look like they're preparing for an ancient battle; hand-to-hand combat is the name of the game, with some participants going so far as to wrap cloth spiked with glass shards around their forearms for extra umph. Others pack slingshots and whips in their belts, though this is less in keeping with tradition.

Warlike in rhythm, the festival begins with both men and women dancing together, only for the women to back away, encircling the men. From there, things escalate quickly into a ritualized brawl which hasn't changed much over the centuries. Police and authorities are present, but step aside once the rock throwing begins. Death isn't a rare occurrence during tinku.

It's of utmost import to note that these skirmishes aren't personal in nature; instead the mayhem is more of a designated space-time for locals to have an outlet for whatever is plaguing them. Or, as Atlas Obscura writer Dan Nosowitz put it, tinku is "a way to vent and avoid existing in a state of anger for the entire year."

Much like those individuals whose bragging rights include participating in tinku their whole lives, the fact that the festival itself has survived for centuries against improbable odds demonstrates the power of a bold heart to weather time itself. 

Related Tags

Festivals Rites And Rituals War History Combat Military

Community Contributors

Added By

Dylan

Edited By

littlebrumble

  • littlebrumble

Published

January 25, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.la-razon.com/la_revista/Macha-reafirma-ritual-tinku-sangre_0_2049395105.html
  • http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1996673_2152323,00.html
  • http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tinku-in-the-bolivian-andes
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinku
Tinku
Departmento de Potosí
Macha
Bolivia
-18.817431, -66.037361

Nearby Places

Dinosaur Dance Floor

Sucre, Bolivia

miles away

Torotoro National Park Dinosaur Footprints

Bolivia

miles away

Potosí Silver Mines

Potosi, Bolivia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bolivia

Bolivia

South America

Places 32
Stories 12

Nearby Places

Dinosaur Dance Floor

Sucre, Bolivia

miles away

Torotoro National Park Dinosaur Footprints

Bolivia

miles away

Potosí Silver Mines

Potosi, Bolivia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bolivia

Bolivia

South America

Places 32
Stories 12

Related Stories and Lists

Baby Jumping and Worm Charming: 60 of the World's Oddest Traditions

List

By Molly McBride Jacobson

Related Places

  • Rothenburg od T: Ratstrinkstube Clock Tower

    Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

    Ratstrinkstube Clock Tower

    Every hour the doors open to reenact the legend of the heroic mayor who saved his town by drinking a gallon of wine.

  • Redcar’s Sound Mirror, also known as ‘Redcar’s Concrete Ear’

    Redcar, England

    Redcar Sound Mirror

    A World War I relic found in the middle of a modern residential area.

  • A floating Valentine tank, note the turret in the middle of the canvas

    Dorset, England

    Valentine Tank Wrecks

    The site of a dress rehearsal for D-Day that ended in disaster.

  • Explore the wide collection of moving military photographs printed in The Stars and Stripes.

    Bloomfield, Missouri

    The Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library

    The first military newspaper in U.S. history was printed in Bloomfield, Missouri.

  • A cannon sits on a wet wooden platform overlooking trees

    Aldershot, England

    Redan Hill Fortifications

    In the mid-1800s, the British military used this hilltop fort to train soldiers.

  • A large stone 3 and 2-story building with arched windows

    Athens, Greece

    Weiler Building

    A former military hospital is now used to study and preserve artifacts of the Acropolis.

  • Stobs Camp

    Hawick, Scotland

    Stobs Camp

    Built as a training camp, this site became a detainment center for prisoners of war and German civilians during World War I.

  • Former bunker gates.

    Altenmünster, Germany

    Z-Hiag Former Chemical Plant

    Hidden in the forest are the remains of a former World War II chemical plant.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.