The open dragon boat race 2019 kicked off at West Lake in the capital city of Hanoi on February 16, attracting thousands of locals and visitors.

A boat race team at the event (Source: http://www.hanoimoi.com.vn)

Attended the opening ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung, and leaders of centrally-run agencies.

Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports To Van Dong said the festival drew over 700 professional and amateur racers of 43 teams.

They are from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Laos as well as 12 cities and provinces across Vietnam, namely Quang Binh, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Hai Duong, Binh Thuan, Quang Tri, Ben Tre, Hung Yen and Hai Phong.

At the opening event, visitors were treated to special art performances, including dragon and lion dances staged by 150 members from the Hanoi Martial Art Association.

The race is part of activities to realise a cooperation agreement on cultural and sport development in the city between the Hanoi People’s Committee and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

In February last year, the first dragon boat festival was organised on the capital’s West Lake. The event gathered 27 teams from seven districts around Hanoi.-VNA