Hanoi’s traditional dragon boat race is scheduled for February 16 and 17, the first weekend after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

At the dragon boat race in 2018

The organiser said the event will attract some 500 professional and amateur racers from 35 domestic and international teams, who will compete in groups of 12 people each on a 600m course on West Lake – the area near Ly Tu Trong Park, and Thanh Nien and Nguyen Dinh Thi roads.

Professional competitors come from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Hong Kong, as well as various different Vietnamese cities and provinces. They will split into male and female events on January 16.

The amateur grouping consists of teams from localities in Hanoi that will enter the qualifications on January 16 and the final round the next day. The group will also see various team from foreign embassies, public agencies, and businesses competing on February 17.

The race is part of activities to realise the cooperation agreement between the municipal People’s Committee and Vietnam Airlines on cultural and sports development in the capital.

In February last year, the first dragon boat festival was organised on West Lake. The event gathered 27 teams from seven districts around the capital. Various art troupes also performed at the festival. –VNA