Braving the rain, Hanoians cheer dragon boat racing
Despite the unfavorable weather, the boating festival on West Lake went on vibrantly, attracting the attention of a large crowd of residents and tourists.
The Hanoi Dragon Boat Racing Festival 2022 was held in the rain on October 9 at the West Lake along Thanh Nien and Nguyen Dinh Thi streets. Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Chu Xuan Dung attended and beat the drum to open the festival.
| Hanoians and foreign visitors enjoyed an impressive boat regatta in the 2022 Hanoi Dragon Boat Racing Festival held in West Lake. |
The boat-racing competition attracted the participation of 500 rowers of 36 male and female boat teams from six districts of Hanoi city; eight neighboring provinces and cities; eight clubs, businesses, and organizations in the capital city; three embassies; three international organizations in Hanoi; and two capital’s alumni associations.
At the opening of the Hanoi Dragon Boat Racing Festival 2022, Do Dinh Hong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and Head of the Organizing Committee, stressed that, in the old time, dragon boat racing had been a key cultural event in Vietnam during the Tet holiday and the national events.
To revive this tradition, this is the fourth year that Hanoi has partnered with Vietnam Airlines Corporation to organize the festival to preserve the popular sport and turn it into a tourism product, as well as promote the capital's culture and history to attract more visitors to the city.
Visitors enjoyed not only impressive boat competitions but also artistic performances, which contributed to the joyful atmosphere of the celebration of the 68th anniversary of the Capital's Liberation Day these days.
The Hanoi People’s Committee has organized the Hanoi Dragon Boat Racing Festival since 2018, with the participation of both amateur and professional paddlers and athletes to compete in the West Lake- one of the landmarks of Hanoi City.
Below are some photos of the festival:
| Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung beat the drum to kicked-off the Hanoi Dragon Boat Racing Festival 2022 |
| The enthusiastic fans of the tournament. |
| Each team features 12 rowers to cover a 600-meter race course on the water. |
| The teams competed fiercely in each competition, creating excitement for spectators. |
The funky boat-racing festival attracted the attention of many residents... |
| ... as well as international visitors to the capital city. |
