Cycling for Peace Festival Opens!

At 7:00 AM this morning, June 29th, at the monument on the north bank of the special national historical site of Hien Luong - Ben Hai, Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, Thanh Nien Newspaper The cycling event for peace was inaugurated , marking the beginning of a series of events for the first-ever national and international Peace Festival held in the sacred land of Quang Tri.

The banks of Hien Luong and Ben Hai rivers were adorned with flags and flowers on the opening day of the Cycling for Peace festival.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Hoang Nam, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, affirmed: "Vietnam is a peace-loving country. Thousands of years of history in building and defending the nation have proven this. More than anyone else, the Vietnamese people recognize the value of peace. Therefore, we hope that each person present at the Cycling for Peace event will be an ambassador for peace, conveying the aspiration for peace of the Vietnamese people in general and the people of Quang Tri in particular in the struggles for peace; building a message towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world ."

Under the sacred national flag, journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper, emphasized that for many years, the cycling movement has developed strongly, but a large-scale tournament has not yet been organized in this land. That is also the reason why the idea of ​​"Cycling for Peace Day" was born.

But more than that, the organizers also hope that the festival will honor the values ​​of peace, remembrance, and gratitude; it will be an opportunity to introduce some typical historical relics and to introduce and promote the image, culture, land, and people of Quang Tri to people nationwide and abroad.

Cycling for Peace: A solemn moment of offering incense at Truong Son National Cemetery.

600 athletes gathered at the foot of the Hien Luong - Ben Hai monument.

Mr. Hoang Nam, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, expressed his hope that each person present at the Cycling for Peace event would be an ambassador for peace.

INDEPENDENCE

Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

"Your large presence here today demonstrates the appeal and attractiveness of the Cycling for Peace Day, which is a great joy for us organizers, for Quang Tri province, and for our sponsors. We all hope that these wheels of peace will continue to turn, sending powerful messages about peace, so that the aspiration for peace will endure, and humanity can live in prosperity, peace, and happiness...", journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan emphasized.

The traditional flag of the Cycling for Peace Festival was proudly waved beneath the national flag at the Hien Luong - Ben Hai monument.

With those expectations in mind, as the wheels of the cycling parade rolled this morning, June 29th, the ideas and messages of peace that the organizers wanted to convey were integrated and expressed through each destination and each activity at those locations.

Delegates and young people stand on Hien Luong (old) to welcome the athletes.

Young people release doves, sending their aspirations for peace.

In particular, the 17th parallel – Hien Luong Bridge – Ben Hai River, the opening location of the event, commemorates the pain of the country's division for over 20 years (1954-1975). This is not only a place of remembrance but also the embodiment and convergence point of the aspiration for peace and national reunification, making it a worthy starting point for the Cycling for Peace Day.

Here, as the parade of 600 athletes passed over the old Hien Luong Bridge, children released doves, while delegates released balloons into the blue sky, praying for peace.

Here are some images captured by Thanh Niên reporters during the opening segment of the parade:

The athletes sang the national anthem under the flagpole.

The athletes paraded across the old Hien Luong bridge.

The athletes displayed confidence as they began the 42-kilometer parade.

The athletes' parade route spanned 42 km.

Locals are eagerly awaiting the bicycle parade.

The parade passed through rice fields in the countryside of Quang Tri province.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khai-hoi-dap-xe-vi-hoa-binh-185240629085328469.htm