Boats line up for the start of races on the Mekong in Vientiane. (File photo Sports Daily News)

Preparations in full swing for Boat Racing Festival

Forty boat crews have registered to compete in the Boat Racing Festival in Vientiane next month, when races will take place on the Mekong River on October 10, as part of annual activities to mark the end of Buddhist Lent. 
Thirteen men’s teams and seven women’s teams will compete in the traditional boat races on October 11. The winners in each category will receive a cup and a cash prize.
The races feature 20 sport boats, while 20 female and male crews will take to the river in traditional wooden longboats. 
The boat races are immensely popular and attract crowds of visitors, who throng the riverbank and create a colourful atmosphere.
The festival also features an extensive street fair selling a wide variety of products, while numerous food stalls offer tempting snacks.
The level of the Mekong in Vientiane is currently 3 to 4 metres.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 30, 2022)