When the river becomes the stage of the people's hearts

VHO - Every Independence Day, September 2, the gentle Kien Giang River in Le Thuy District becomes the "stage" of a big festival - the traditional boat racing festival. This is not only a competition of strength but also a day of solidarity, where the village spirit is united and pride in the homeland is sublimated.

From early morning, both sides of the river were covered with flags and flowers, the sound of drums, gongs, and loudspeakers resounded.

People from all over the villages flocked in, bringing with them excitement and enthusiastic cheers.

Not only by road, on the river branches, many people use their boats to go to the festival center to cheer for their team.

Not only is it a race of strength, the festival is also a long journey of preparation when teams practice diligently for many weeks and officially enter the competition group race (usually held about 1 week before the competition day on September 2).

When the gun sounded, the swimmers let go slowly and tried their best to move their boat forward.

The oars beat strongly on the water, creating white foam. Each boat rushed forward like an arrow piercing the waves, creating a majestic yet poetic picture on the Kien Giang River.

On the shore, fans crowded together, some shouting, some clapping, some waving flags, turning the riverbanks into a giant “stadium”. They synchronized with each stroke of the oars, adding strength to the swimmers who were giving their all in the water.

They use trumpets, pots, pans... or anything that can make noise to cheer on the boys racing on the river.

"Khoat conical hat" is an impressive image of the Le Thuy swimming race festival. The people standing on the shore can "khoat" the conical hats to cheer the swimmers on. And when standing in the water, they use these hats to "khoat" the river water into the swimmers to cool down.

A little boy, now just over 2 years old, was taken by his grandmother to watch the boat race. He had a flag stuck to his cheek, was wrapped in a silk ribbon and held the national flag to cheer on the swimmers. This image once again affirms that the tradition of boat racing on Kien Giang river has been ingrained in the people's blood since childhood.

A baby was carried by his father to watch the qualifying swimming race.

Cars and flags in hand are the image of groups of people running along the riverbank to cheer on their swimmers in the river.

Regardless of any position or angle that is convenient for watching their hometown's boats, people will choose it.

Right on the high-rise building next to the river

For the racing boats, each race is a harsh test of strength, will and team spirit. The swimmers’ faces are marked with sweat, their muscles are tense, their eyes are fierce. They compete not only for themselves, but also for the pride of their village and family. All of this, combined with the commander’s loud shout, creates a lasting collective strength.

As the boat approached the finish line, the atmosphere on the shore exploded. Cheers and drums echoed throughout the area. Fans stood up, their eyes following every tense moment. When the first boat crossed the finish line, the riverside exploded with joy of victory.

Flags fluttered, cheers filled the air, many people jumped and hugged each other in happiness. In the river, boys swam with their oars raised high, their bright smiles mixed with tears of emotion.

For the people of Le Thuy, victory is not only the result of strength and skill, but also a symbol of solidarity, courage and steadfast belief. It is the common joy of the community, a testament to the enduring vitality of a traditional homeland.

The boat racing festival on Kien Giang river therefore goes beyond the meaning of sport . This is a festival of village love and neighborhood, of pride in folk culture.

Although time has passed, the echoes of the festival still linger in the hearts of Le Thuy people, as an affirmation that the flow of tradition and indomitable spirit still flows in the veins of the homeland.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/khi-dong-song-hoa-thanh-san-khau-cua-long-dan-164803.html