Rushing to practice Cheo, preparing for the festival
Since the beginning of August, the atmosphere of festival preparation has spread along both banks of the Kien Giang River (Le Thuy commune, Quang Tri province). Traditional wooden boats are brought down to the river for inspection and repair, while athletes take advantage of the time to practice to prepare for the competition day.
Every afternoon, when daily work is temporarily put aside, on the Kien Giang River, the cheers, drums and rhythmic rowing of the boat teams resonate regularly. On the shore, people gather to watch and cheer, creating a festival atmosphere even though the official competitions have not yet started.
For the people of Le Thuy, boat racing and swimming on National Day has become an indispensable part of cultural life. This is not only a sports competition but also an opportunity for villages and hamlets to meet, exchange and show solidarity.
In Xuan Thuong village, this year's preparation work has a special feature when the locality still maintains 2 boats after Xuan Bo and Tien Thiep villages merged.
Mr. Tran Dinh Uy - Deputy Secretary of Xuan Thuong village Party Cell said that maintaining 2 boats at the same time makes the preparation, logistics and mobilization of forces more difficult. However, this is also a motivation for people to compete, contributing to creating a lively atmosphere before the festival.
Up to now, the village's preparation work has reached about 80%. Athletes, logistics and conditions serving the two swimming teams are continuing to be completed. The main funding is mobilized from socialization, with the joint efforts of people, children far from home and businesses.
Ready for the festival on the Kien Giang River
To ensure the festival takes place safely, Le Thuy commune is completing many tasks related to facilities, traffic, security and order, health and environmental sanitation.
Central roads, areas on both banks of the Kien Giang River, bridges across the river and the General Vo Nguyen Giap Memorial House area are renovated, decorated with flags, flowers, banners, and slogans.
Mr. Pham Xuan Cuong - Vice Chairman of Le Thuy Commune People's Committee said that the Festival Organizing Committee has been established with 6 specialized sub-committees. The forces are assigned specific tasks, from building regulations, organizing referees, supervising to preparing facilities and safety assurance plans.
According to the plan, the qualifying rounds will take place on August 30th. On the morning of September 2nd, the river parade is expected to start at 6:15 am, followed by the opening program and official competition events.
In the women's event, boat racing teams competed on a distance of 18km. Men's class A and class B boats competed on a distance of 24km. It is expected that thousands of people and tourists will gather along the two banks of Kien Giang to watch and cheer.
Besides racing and boating, the series of activities celebrating Independence Day also includes traditional men's and women's volleyball tournaments, mass art programs and trade fairs with about 80-90 booths. Incense offering and gratitude activities at red addresses are also organized, contributing to creating more highlights for the festival season.
According to Mr. Pham Xuan Cuong, the boat racing and boating festival on the Kien Giang River is a cultural feature that has been deeply ingrained in the lives of Le Thuy people, and is also a national intangible cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted.
Along the Kien Giang River these days, flags, flowers, drums and cheo rehearsals are signaling a new festival season. Local people are together completing the final tasks, ready for the bustling Independence Day on the homeland of General Vo Nguyen Giap.
