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As part of the 2026 Quỳnh Nhai Commune Culture, Sports and Tourism Week, the traditional boat racing festival took place on the morning of February 26th at the Pá Uôn bridge boat racing wharf. This is one of the key activities, attracting the attention of local people and tourists from all over.
Traditional boat racing festival at Pá Uôn wharf.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from communes in the province and some communes with a shared riverine culture from Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces; along with a large number of athletes, local people, and tourists from inside and outside the province.
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The artisans perform a ritual offering before the competition.
This year's traditional boat racing festival attracted 120 athletes from 12 teams representing villages and sub-districts of Quynh Nhai commune, communes in the Quynh Nhai area, and Nam Hang commune, Lai Chau province; and Muong Lay ward, Dien Bien province. The teams competed in the men's team event over a distance of 1,500 meters. The racing boats were swallow-tailed boats.
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The two racing teams start.
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The traditional boat racing festival is bustling with activity.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the teams from the communes began their race. The athletes, with years of training and competition experience, paddled with decisive and powerful strokes, creating dramatic chases across the emerald green lake.
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The swallow-tailed boat cuts through the waves on the river.
Along both banks of the river and on the Pá Uôn bridge, thousands of spectators cheered enthusiastically, accompanied by the resounding sounds of drums and gongs, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere typical of a river festival.
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The boat is at the turning point, heading back to the finish line.
The annual traditional boat racing festival is linked to the strengths of developing cultural and spiritual tourism, as well as ecotourism, with over 10,000 hectares of water surface in the Son La hydroelectric reservoir. At the same time, the festival is maintained annually to contribute to preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural values of the riverine region; creating a beneficial playground, opportunities for exchange, learning, and community bonding among ethnic groups within and outside the province.
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The joy of crossing the finish line.
The festival concluded in joy for both participants and spectators, leaving an unforgettable impression of a land rich in cultural identity and hospitality, creating an atmosphere of excitement, enthusiasm, and expectation for a successful new year.
Reporters' Team