Crowds flock to Luang Prabang boat racing festival

Even though it was a rainy day, people turned out in droves for the annual Boat Racing Festival in Luang Prabang City, with races taking place on the Mekong River last month.
The festival was eagerly anticipated after a two-year hiatus when it was suspended because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
But this year the popular festival returned and crowds flocked to the riverbank to watch the races, despite the rain.

The starting line for the boat races on the Mekong River in Luang Prabang. --Photo Luang Prabang News

After many months of inactivity due to the prolonged absence of visitors, the town’s streets were packed with people all eager to have a good time, see the races, shop for bargains at the street fair, and party with their friends.
The boat race spectators were mostly locals, joined by people from neighbouring provinces and Vientiane, with a sprinkling of foreign visitors, and their obvious enthusiasm made for a joyous event.
The onlookers quickly got into the spirit of the occasion and cheered for their favourite boat crews, while some people danced and smiled broadly out of pure enjoyment.
The boat races coincided with the Buddhist Hor Khaopadapdin Festival, when families prepare food offerings which they place at temples and around their homes for the spirits of their deceased ancestors.
This meant that many people had a short night on Thursday as they had to put their food parcels out before sunrise, as spirits are supposedly free to wander only at this time.
Some 23 male crews competed in the boat races, representing Luang Prabang, other provinces, and Vientiane.
This year, a crew from Vientiane was first across the finishing line, while Xayaboury province came second, and a crew sponsored by the Lao Development Bank came third.
The Boat Racing Festival, or Boun Xuang Heua, is the biggest annual water-based competition in Laos. It is a longstanding tradition that has been preserved since time immemorial and is a fixture on the Lao calendar.
Crews prepare themselves by building their fitness levels over months of regular practice, all eyeing glory on this biggest of national stages.
This is a very colourful time of celebration and a great opportunity for shopping and socialising.
Everyone enjoys the festival because of the party atmosphere that accompanies it and the fun activities on offer both during the day and at night.
The town becomes a riot of colour as festival-goers and vendors pack the streets, and this year the event was particularly inspiring because it coincided with the Hor Khaopadapdin Festival, so that Luang Prabang’s iconic temples also became centres of attraction.
Mr Sakhone Phetbounheuang, from Khoksa Art village in Xaythany district, Vientiane, travelled to Luang Prabang for the festival. He said “I like to watch the boat races because everyone has a good time and it’s great to see the boat crews working together in a tight-knit unit. They have to work as a team and are dependent on each other to achieve victory. It’s clear they have put in lots of practice ahead of the races.”
Mr Kiettisak Phanthoulath, who hails from Sikhai village in Sikhottabong district, Vientiane, but works in Luang Prabang, said he also enjoyed the festival, especially shopping for food, local products and clothing, as well as the outdoor entertainment and the colourful street fair.
Boat racing festivals take place in many towns and villages across Laos at this time of year, with the dates varying from place to place. The public holiday allotted to the event also changes according to the day on which Boun Ok Phansa, the last day of Buddhist Lent, falls, as this is determined by the date of the full moon.
The races are usually run over a distance of 2 kilometres, though the start and finish lines change slightly from year to year depending upon the level of the river.
Traditional racing boats are carved from a single tree and can hold up to fifty rowers. In the days before the races, the crew will clean and paint the boats and make offerings, as they are considered sacred objects.
There are usually three categories in the races – sports and traditional boats crewed by men, and traditional boats crewed by women.
The women’s race usually takes place first, followed by the men’s races. The winners in each category receive prize money and a trophy and are held in great esteem.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 14, 2022)