The traditional boat race on the Han River held annually to celebrate the August Revolution and National Day (September 2) is a prominent cultural and sporting activity, becoming a spiritual food that attracts many city residents and tourists. However, since 2018, this traditional sporting event has not been held, causing regret for many generations of city residents.
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| Teams participating in the 2023 Nai Hien Dong ward boat race on the Han River. Photo: NHU NGHIA |
Ms. Huynh Thi Tro, a resident of Nai Hien Dong Ward (Son Tra District), is nearly 70 years old this year. Her life has been marked by the successful ashore of the people in the stilt house neighborhood along the Han River, and the times when the whole neighborhood went together to watch the boat races on the Han River are indispensable. It has become a spiritual food on the occasion of the whole country celebrating the August Revolution and National Day (September 2) and is an event that the city's residents look forward to.
“Back then, when we heard the announcement on the newspaper or radio about the boat race, people were very excited. Tomorrow was the race, so tonight the whole family prepared food, drinks, and personal belongings, and went early to choose seats and positions on the riverbank to watch and cheer in the most convenient way. If there were teams or people participating in the race from our neighborhood or ward, it would be even more fun and exciting,” Mrs. Tro recalled.
That is the common feeling of many residents of Nai Hien Dong ward when reminded of the traditional boat racing on the Han River that has been deeply ingrained in their minds. “For the past two years, the ward has organized boat racing, making us feel like we are reliving our childhoods following our fathers to watch boat racing on the Han River. If the traditional boat racing is restored in a systematic and professional manner, it will be truly precious,” said Nguyen Van Tri, a resident of Nai Hien Dong ward.
According to Chairman of Nai Hien Dong Ward People's Committee Cao Dinh Hai, the boatmen, fishermen and divers in the ward all maintain racing boat teams. They always live in the mindset and mindset of river people, so restoring traditional boat racing competitions is a great joy and encouragement for them. In 2022, the ward proactively asked for permission and was approved by the competent authorities to organize an internal boat racing competition with the ward's teams and expand the teams of other localities in the city.
From the success of this tournament, in 2023, on the occasion of the fishing festival and to celebrate the city's liberation day on March 29, Nai Hien Dong ward was approved by the city to organize the Nai Hien Dong ward boat racing tournament in 2023 with the participation of 10 racing teams from wards in the city and Quang Nam province. "Although it is a ward-level tournament, about 10,000 tourists from all over the country gathered to watch the race. Obviously, the effect and spread are very large," said Mr. Hai.
At the recent 12th session of the 10th City People's Council, delegate Nguyen Thi Phuong, Deputy Head of the Legal Committee of the City People's Council, asked the Director of the Department of Culture and Sports: Why has the traditional boat racing tournament on the Han River at the city level not been maintained in the past and will this tournament be restored?
In a written response to questions after the 12th session, the Department of Culture and Sports stated that the traditional boat racing on the Han River is an outstanding cultural and sports activity to celebrate the anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2) every year and has been held continuously until 2017 with the participation of male and female boat racing teams from Da Nang city and Quang Nam province. The activity attracts a large number of Da Nang residents and tourists to both banks of the Han River to watch.
Through the tournament, a beautiful cultural tradition in the life of people in the Central Coast region is introduced and the image of Da Nang tourism is promoted to domestic and foreign tourists. However, from 2018 to now, due to many objective and subjective reasons such as the cost of organizing and participating in the big tournament, while the work of mobilizing sponsorship has encountered many difficulties; boat equipment has been degraded and damaged after a long time of use; the impact of Covid-19 ... so the tournament cannot be re-organized as before.
According to Director of the Department of Culture and Sports Pham Tan Xu, the department is very interested and is advising the City People's Committee to reorganize the traditional boat racing tournament on the Han River. Previously, the "Da Nang City Traditional Boat Racing Tournament for VTV Da Nang Cup" (later VTV8 Cup) was an annual event jointly organized by the Department of Culture and Sports, Vietnam Television Center in Da Nang City and the City Water Sports Association.
“Currently, we are actively working with VTV8 to unify and have a direction to develop a specific implementation plan to reorganize the traditional boat racing tournament as before. After the results of the work are available, the next steps will be implemented specifically, so we cannot say exactly when the reorganization will take place. The spirit is to support and unify the viewpoint and policy to restore the traditional boat racing tournament on the Han River, to meet the cultural and spiritual needs of the people as well as create a unique tourism product for the city during holidays and festivals,” said Mr. Xu.
TRONG HUY
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