Embracing the spirit “Fun Above All”, the event opened the series of activities within the 2026 “Tet que cau Ngoi” (Countryside Tet at Thanh Toan Tiled-Roof Bridge) program, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with energy and laughter during the festival.
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| The boat racing this year gathering 11 participating teams |
Bringing together over 100 rowers from 11 boats representing local units and organizations in the ward, along with teams from the neighboring wards of Phu Bai and Huong Thuy, the festival featured 11 race categories over distances of over 500 meters.
In addition to traditional events such as men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles…, the festival also featured a range of unique and unconventional competitions, including short double-paddle with a long pole, pole-propelled racing, seated racing, and standing racing…
As this type of boat is highly prone to capsizing, and competitors must complete 2 turns around the markers to qualify, rowers had the chance to showcase their masterful, agile, and well-coordinated boat-handling skills, earning rounds of enthusiastic applause from spectators.
In addition to preserving the traditional river-based lifestyle of residents in Thuy Thanh in particular and Thanh Thuy Ward in general, the boat racing festival was held to preserve cultural values while promoting community-based tourism at Thanh Toan Tiled-Roof Bridge.
As scheduled, the 2026 “Tet que cau Ngoi” program take place over 2 days (February 13-14) at Thanh Toan Tiled-Roof Bridge Community Tourism Site. The event will feature a range of activities, including the “Golden Bell Challenge”, bai choi game, traditional folk games, and a rural market space showcasing agricultural and OCOP products… Visitors will have the chance to experience traditional crafts, contributing to a distinctive cultural highlight for the Lunar New Year season in Thanh Thuy Ward.
Following are some photos taken at the 2026 Traditional Boat Racing:
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| The ritual of drumming to kick off the festival |
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| Because the fishing boats are difficult to control, several of them became entangled with one another just moments after the start |
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| Beyond physical strength… |
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| The fishing boat requires a high degree of flexibility and technical skill from its operators |
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| Embracing the spirit of “Fun Above All”, despite a certain level of competition… |
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| … the rowers are still willing to assist one another if a rival boat encounters difficulties |
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| Due to their compact design and difficulty in controlling, capsizing occurs frequently |
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| … However, this factor brings excitement, suspense, and laughter to spectators attending the race |