On the morning of February 16th, Hanoi Open Dragon Boat Racing 2019 was inaugurated on West lake ( the area of Ly Tu Trong Flower Garden and Thanh Nien- Nguyen Dinh Thi Streets). This event was coordinated between Hanoi People’s Committee and Vietnam Airlines, attracting huge crowds of Hanoians and tourists.
The inaugural ceremony welcomed the attendance of comrades: Vu Duc Dam, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister; Nguyen Duc Chung, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, Chairman of the Municipal People’s Committee; Dao Duc Toan, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee; Ngo Van Quy, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee and representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam Airlines Corporation, Vietnam Boat Racing Federation, representatives of British Embassy, and numerous athletes and citizens.
The festival drew the attention of numerous athletes and citizens
There were 700 athletes under 33 delegation divided in to 43 teams, including 12 male teams and 06 female teams in professional group; 09 male teams and 06 female teams in movement group; 10 male-female teams from embassies, organizations and enterprises. This competition attracted competition of 04 international delegation, including: Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), Singapore, Laos and 04 embassy delegation, namely: Sweden, Britain, America and Denmark, said Mr. To Van Dong, Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sport, addressing at the inaugural ceremony.
Hanoi Open Dragon Boat Racing Festival 2019
There were 12 provinces and cities dispatching teams to the competition, namely: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Binh Thuan, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc and Ben Tre.
The movement group encompassed 9 districts and 9 male teams, 6 female teams from districts, namely: Chuong My, Ba Vi, My Duc, Dan Phuong, Bac Tu Liem, Hoang Mai, Thanh Oai, Thanh Tri and Ung Hoa.
Athletes warm up before the competition
The group for embassies, organizations and businesses included 10 teams of 8 delegations, including 2 Vietnam Airlines dragon boat teams, 2 teams of Chevening alumni and US Embassy staffs, Ho Tay Boat Racing Club, Vietnamese alumni group in Sweden and Swedish embassy staffs, Vietnamese alumni group in Denmark, BIDV dragon boat team and Lac Viet Securities Company.
To kick off the competition, representative of the Organizing Committee, Comrade Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Municipal People’s Committee beat the inaugural drum in the opening ceremony of the Hanoi Open Dragon Boat Swimming Festival in 2019 in a jubilant, bustling atmosphere.
Art performances and parade of boat athletes and other aquatic sports after the opening ceremony has brought a vibrant festival atmosphere to Hanoians and tourists in the New Year occasion.
Arts performance in the opening ceremony
At the stage of Ly Tu Trong Flower Garden, there were special performances by Hanoi Cheo Theater. The main stage along Thanh Nien Street features performances by Thang Long Puppet Theater. The stage near Tran Quoc Pagoda features performance by Hanoi Cai Luong Theater. In addition, there were also various performances by artists from Hanoi Theater of Circus and Vaudeville along Thanh Nien Street. Hanoi Martial Arts Association also contributed to the joy of the festival with performances of dragon dance, lion dance, with the participation of more than 100 people.
Teams in the competition.
Dragon Boat Race took place from 9:00 AM to 16:00 PM on February 16 and 9:30 AM to 11: 30 PM in West Lake. After the inaugural ceremony, crows of people gathered around the lake and supported enthusiastically for teams in the competition.
Phuong Uyen