Every April 1 the district of Cat Ba celebrates a visit by Uncle Ho on this date back in 1959 with a festival that is capped off with dragon boat races. |
April 1 also marks opening day of the fishing season on the island. Pictured: Navy and Armed Forces take part in a parade on the morning of the race. |
Thousands of local people and neighbouring provinces come to see and cheer. |
This year, there are five teams from four northern coastal provinces facing off and five teams from the communes and towns of the Cat Hai Island District competing in a second race. |
The festival is very special to the people of the Island, rooted in the spiritual aspirations of the seafarers and praying to the gods to protect them at sea. |
The competitors fight fiercely. |
The races, show the toughness of the teams, their ability to work together to overcome the waves and master the fisheries. |
The race is very intense, fierce, with rowers competing ferociously on each metre of water. |
The air is filled with the sounds of exuberant boat racing enthusiasts. |
The wharf is throbbing in cheers, gong drums as the boats near the finish line. |
Boat racers must splash water with their paddles to ‘cool down’. |
The teams say they have been actively practicing for the past few days to prepare and perform their best at the tournament. |
The joy of victory. |
At the end of the tournament, first prize belongs to the Thuy Nguyen (Hai Phong) team. For the Cat Hai District, the first prize goes to the commune of Phu Long. |
