(baosonla.vn) - Continuing the activities of the Quynh Nhai Culture, Sports and Tourism Week 2025, on the morning of February 7, at the Pa Uon Bridge boat racing wharf, Quynh Nhai district held the opening ceremony of the traditional boat racing festival. Attending the opening ceremony were leaders of departments, branches and sectors of the province; Muong Lay town (Dien Bien province) and many athletes, people and tourists from inside and outside the province.
This year's traditional boat racing festival attracted the participation of 280 athletes from 10 teams from communes and towns of Quynh Nhai district; a team from Muong La district and a team from Muong Lay town, Dien Bien province. The teams competed in 2 categories: Men's team; mixed men's and women's team; 1,500 m distance. The racing boat is a swallow-tailed dugout canoe made from the trunk of a tree.
Pa Uon bridge area where the boat racing festival takes place.
Delegates and athletes attended the opening ceremony.
The organizers presented souvenir flags to the participating teams.
The teams start the men's team event.
Right after the opening ceremony, the teams participating in the men's team event started; the athletes had experience competing in previous years' boat races, and were skilled at controlling swallow-tail boats, creating an exciting competition. Each swallow-tail boat raced through the waves to reach the finish line, to the cheers and encouragement of thousands of spectators and tourists gathered at the two river wharfs and on Pa Uon bridge. In the exciting atmosphere of the first days of spring and the new year, more and more people and tourists flocked to the area where the boat racing festival was held, creating an extremely vibrant and bustling atmosphere.
Compete on the track.
The joy of reaching the finish line.
The annual traditional boat racing festival is associated with the strength of developing spiritual cultural tourism and eco-tourism with more than 10,000 hectares of water surface in the Son La hydroelectric reservoir.
The traditional boat racing festival contributes to preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of residents living in the coastal areas of Son La hydroelectric lake; creating a useful playground, enhancing understanding, exchange and solidarity among ethnic groups inside and outside the province, bringing an exciting, cheerful atmosphere, hope for a lucky, peaceful and successful year.
People and tourists came to cheer for the teams.
According to: Son La Newspaper