Boat racing on the Tra Khuc River becomes a heritage site.

The traditional boat racing festival on the Tra Khuc River is organized by Tinh Long commune, Quang Ngai city, every two years, on the 5th and 6th days of the Lunar New Year. Photo: Vien Nguyen

On February 2nd, at the Tra Khuc riverbank, An Loc village, Tinh Long commune, Quang Ngai city, the People's Committee of Quang Ngai city organized the ceremony to announce the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Traditional Boat Racing Festival of Tinh Long commune and held the traditional boat racing festival on the Tra Khuc river.

The traditional boat racing festival of Tịnh Long commune has been listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This festival originated in ancient times, associated with the process of land reclamation and village settlement by the Vietnamese people from the late 16th century, and has existed for hundreds of years. The festival is held every two years, at the beginning of spring, creating a vibrant festive atmosphere during the Lunar New Year.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Giang - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province (far right) - presents the Certificate from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognizing the Tinh Long Commune Boat Racing Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Photo: Vien Nguyen.

From the morning of the 5th day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake), thousands of people from all over gathered at the Tra Khuc riverbank, in the section passing through An Loc village, Tinh Long commune, to watch the traditional boat racing festival with competition between racing teams. The festival featured 4 racing teams, representing the villages in the commune. The 4 racing boats symbolized the four mythical creatures: Dragon,麒麟 (Kirin), Turtle, and Phoenix. Each boat had about 16 people. Each team participated in 6 laps, each race track about 250m long.

After the race ends, the villagers carry the racing boats back to the village shrine for a ceremony to thank the deities for protecting their boats and ensuring their victory in the festival. At the same time, they pray for the deities to bless their village with a prosperous, happy, and successful new year, fostering a strong sense of traditional religious life and community cohesion.

The boat racing festival takes place on the Tra Khuc River, the largest river in Quang Ngai province. Photo: Vien Nguyen

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Giang, Chairman of the Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee, acknowledged and praised the efforts and unity of the people of Quang Ngai City, especially Tinh Long commune, in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the locality.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hoang Giang, to effectively promote this cultural heritage, departments, agencies, and localities should continue to pay attention to the preservation and promotion of its value; develop specific plans and programs to preserve and promote the cultural values and rituals of the festival. They should create conditions to support the people of Tinh Long commune in maintaining and organizing the annual festival. Festival activities should be integrated with tourism programs and activities to create a series of rich, diverse, and attractive activities serving the people and tourists, contributing to promoting the tourism image of Quang Ngai. Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and education for the younger generation about the value of the heritage.

The traditional boat racing festival in Tinh Long has been maintained for hundreds of years. Local people believe that whichever village's boat crosses the finish line first in the race will bring good luck to the people of that village in the new year. Photo: Vien Nguyen

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