Boat racing to celebrate Independence Day

QTO - Kien Giang River is like the backbone symbol of the land and people of Le Thuy, winding from An Ma mountain range to Hac Hai lagoon. And, from this poetic and gentle Kien Giang river, a racing and boating festival has been created that not every place has. Every year, on Independence Day, at the sacred Cape Viet, the traditional racing and boating festival on Kien Giang River - a national intangible cultural heritage is held bustlingly, attracting a large number of visitors from all over the world to participate...

Bustling Kien Giang River

Every time Independence Day comes, An Xa village - the hometown of General Vo Nguyen Giap - begins to bustle with the sounds of wooden fish, drums, and the sound of boys and girls swimming and racing to practice on the Kien Giang River. This year's festival season, the atmosphere continues to be bustling and exciting, despite the many worries and concerns.

Men's rowing boats actively practice to participate in the festival - Photo: Ngoc Hai

An Xa village chief Tran Huu Hung shared that An Xa has for generations retained the soul of an ancient village with more than 420 households and 1,600 people, and the village's racing and swimming traditions have been ingrained in the blood and consciousness of the people here and those far from home.

“An Xa village is located on the right bank of Kien Giang river. Agriculture and services are the main production industries. This year, according to regulations, each person in the village supports 100,000 VND to serve the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang river. In addition, promoting the spirit of solidarity, An Xa villagers, no matter where they are, turn to their hometown, supporting rowing and racing boats; the boys and girls who swim and race in An Xa are mainly the children of the village…”, An Xa village chief informed.

Mr. Tran Viet Bac (born in 1962), who has more than two decades of experience in repainting and repairing An Xa village's rowing and racing boats to serve the festival, said that nowhere in the country do people celebrate Independence Day with such enthusiasm as in An Xa village. That is shown by the origin of the festival, which dates back to ancient times and has been passed down from ancestors to descendants. And more specifically, the way Le Thuy people celebrate Independence Day comes from national pride and self-respect...

Mr. Tran Viet Bac repaints the roof of the swimming pool for the boys of An Xa village - Photo: Ngoc Hai

“I am old and cannot participate in rowing, but every year the village assigns me the responsibility of repairing and repainting the boats to best serve the festival. Perhaps, thanks to my skillful hands, every year the rowing and racing boats of An Xa village achieve high results. For the people of An Xa village, rowing and racing boats are not only a competition, but also the identity and soul of the homeland…”, Mr. Bac said.

After nearly a decade of absence on the Kien Giang River, this year, the swimmers of Uan Ao village officially returned to the race track. Head of the Front Committee of Uan Ao village, Hoang Canh Quynh, said that the village has more than 1,600 households, and the people's lives mainly depend on agricultural production and rural industries. This year, Uan Ao village decided to bring the rowing boats back to participate in the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on the Kien Giang River. The decision received the consensus and support of many villagers.

“With the joint efforts, enthusiastic contributions and support of the villagers and children living far from home, the wish of many generations of Uan Ao villagers to bring the boat named after the village back to Kien Giang river has now come true…”, shared the Head of the Front Committee of Uan Ao village.

After many years of absence, the Uan Ao village rowing boat has returned to the race track - Photo: Ngoc Hai

Mr. Do Van Son (born in 1970), the oldest swimmer of the Uan Ao village boat, shared: “It has been a long time since the villagers have been so excited about the racing and swimming season. In the past few years, I have been hired to swim for other villages. Now that I have returned to my village, the other swimmers and I will try our best to achieve high results in this year's festival season...”.

Intact soul of homeland

In a conversation, Dr. Nguyen Khac Thai, who has many years of research on the history and culture of traditional boat racing and rowing festivals on Kien Giang River, explained that the festival originated from the spiritual culture associated with agricultural residents. From the village and commune boat racing and rowing festivals with the purpose of praying for favorable weather, good wind, and bountiful crops; competing in the strength of men and women to show strength, fighting against natural disasters, storms and floods. After the success of the August Revolution, the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang River was held to celebrate the nation's Independence Day.

“The traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang River aims to honor, preserve and promote the value of national intangible cultural heritages and ethnic cultural forms; promote tourism potential and advantages; at the same time strengthen the great national unity bloc, create an exciting atmosphere, enrich the spiritual life of the people; introduce and promote to domestic and foreign tourists the beauty of the land and people of Le Thuy and Quang Tri province…”, Deputy Director of Le Thuy Culture - Sports and Communication Center Ha Van Lam said.

“Now, the festival is a national intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, every year on the occasion of Independence Day, Le Thuy jubilantly opens a racing and swimming festival. The festival has entered the subconscious of the people of Le Thuy in particular and tourists from all over the country in general; at the same time, it leaves very special emotions…”, Dr. Nguyen Khac Thai informed.

Deputy Director of Le Thuy Center for Culture, Sports and Communication Ha Van Lam said that this year, implementing the two-level local government model, the festival is organized by Quang Tri province. However, the scale of the festival is still the same as previous years. The new feature of the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang River this year is that there is no participation of rowing boats from communes but mainly rowing and racing boats from villages in Le Thuy commune.

At the same time, to preserve, maintain the identity and promote the value of the national intangible cultural heritage of the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang river, the festival organizing committee has issued strict regulations for athletes participating in the competition...

Traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang river carries the breath and soul of the homeland - Photo: Ngoc Hai

It is known that this year's festival attracts the participation of 23 male rowing boats (including 22 rowing boats from villages in Le Thuy commune, 1 rowing boat from Van Xa village, Truong Phu commune) and 9 female racing boats. The rowing boats will be drawn to be divided into 2 groups. The qualifying round will take place on August 29. After the qualifying round, the rowing boats with high achievements will be placed in class A to compete in the final on September 1, 2025. The remaining rowing boats will be placed in class B.

Ngoc Hai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202508/dua-thuyen-mung-tet-doc-lap-dfd3520/