Cycling for Peace Festival Opens!

In the middle of the historic Hien Luong Bridge, as 70 students released doves and delegates launched balloons into the sky, 600 athletes began their parade and cycling event for peace ...

On the morning of June 29th, at the monument on the northern bank of the special national historical site of Hien Luong - Ben Hai, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province and Thanh Nien Newspaper organized the opening ceremony of the Cycling for Peace event, marking the beginning of a series of events for the first-ever National and International Peace Festival held in the sacred land of Quang Tri.

Delegates and athletes before the opening ceremony - Photo: PV

Under the sacred national flag, journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien newspaper, stated that the cycling movement has developed strongly over the years. However, a large-scale competition has yet to be organized in this region. This is also the reason why the idea of ​​the "Cycling for Peace Festival" was born. More than that, he hopes the festival will honor the value of peace, commemorate and express gratitude, and serve as an opportunity to introduce some typical historical sites in the province; to introduce and promote the image, culture, land, and people of Quang Tri to people nationwide and abroad.

“Your large presence here today demonstrates the appeal and attractiveness of the Cycling for Peace Day, which is a great joy for us organizers, for Quang Tri province, and for our sponsors. We all hope that these wheels of peace will continue to turn, sending powerful messages about peace, so that the aspiration for peace will endure forever, and humanity can live in prosperity, peace, and happiness…,” journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan emphasized.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Nam delivers the opening speech - Photo: PV

Meanwhile, Mr. Hoang Nam, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, also stated, "Vietnam is a peace-loving country. Thousands of years of history in building and defending the nation have proven this. More than anyone else, the Vietnamese people recognize the value of peace. Therefore, we hope that each person present at the Cycling for Peace event will be an ambassador for peace, conveying the aspiration for peace of the Vietnamese people in general and the people of Quang Tri in particular in the struggles for peace; building a message towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world."

The wheels of the cycling parade rolled on the morning of June 29th - Photo: PV

With those expectations in mind, as the wheels of the cycling parade rolled on the morning of June 29th, the ideas and messages of peace that the organizers wanted to convey were integrated and expressed through each destination and each activity at those locations.

The 17th Parallel, Hien Luong Bridge, and Ben Hai River, the site of the opening ceremony, also commemorates the painful 20-year division of the country (1954-1975). This is not only a place of remembrance but also a symbol and convergence point of the aspiration for peace and national reunification. It is a fitting starting point for the Cycling for Peace Day. Here, as the parade of 600 athletes crosses the old Hien Luong Bridge, delegates will release doves, while students will release balloons into the blue sky, praying for peace.

Next, the group will participate in a cycling parade from here to the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery (Gio Linh District) and end at Fidel Park (Dong Ha City). At the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, the group will light incense to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs, and also present gifts to families who have contributed to the revolution and students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Finally, at Fidel Park, athletes and delegates will sign and write messages on the festival's symbolic flag. The flag, measuring 54 square meters (representing the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam), features a main motif: a dove holding a rice stalk, symbolizing the aspiration for peace, prosperity, and happiness, along with a multicolored silk ribbon: red and yellow representing the national flag; red also representing the blood of the heroic martyrs who sacrificed themselves for today's peace; and blue representing peace, the color of rebirth and development. This flag will then be sent to the National UNESCO Committee as a message from those who cherish peace.

PV

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/khai-hoi-dap-xe-vi-hoa-binh-186547.htm