Bustling Independence Day in the hometown of General Vo Nguyen Giap

No one knows since when, in the rice fields of Le Thuy, Quang Binh province, a song with an uplifting and joyful tone has appeared: "No matter where you go, east or west/On September 2nd, you still want to come home/Come home to watch the festival in our hometown/The river is full of swimming, every house has flags flying".

Every September 2nd, Le Thuy district is bustling with traditional boat racing and rowing festivals (Photo: Nhat Anh).

Many people still say that Le Thuy is the place to celebrate the biggest Independence Day in the country, and the celebration of Independence Day can be counted in months. Because on this occasion, the whole Le Thuy area becomes bustling with a series of cultural and sports activities. Especially traditional boat racing and rowing - a spiritual dish that has permeated the blood of Le Thuy people.

From the beginning of August, when the sound of wooden fish is heard on the river, the festival atmosphere begins to take over. In the villages, people "stay up all day and all night" to prepare for the festival. Village and hamlet cultural houses and streets are lit up at night so that young men can practice swimming, play qualifying rounds in volleyball, soccer, and perform arts...

Mr. Nguyen Van De, resident of Xuan Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, shared that people here are proud to have two big Tet holidays every year: Lunar New Year and Independence Day. Independence Day is an occasion for children to turn to their homeland, remembering the contributions of Uncle Ho, General Vo Nguyen Giap and those who sacrificed their lives to gain independence for the nation.

In Le Thuy, banners, cheering slogans, and flags filled the sky, creating a joyful atmosphere rarely seen elsewhere (Photo: Nhat Anh).

"On this occasion, most families in Le Thuy display incense, flowers, cakes and local products to worship their ancestors. The most anticipated event during the Independence Day is the boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang River," said Mr. De.

It is known that after the success of the August Revolution in 1945, on September 2, 1946, the people of Le Thuy organized an "Independence Day" and a boat racing festival at the district level. Since then, every September 2, Kien Giang River resounds with cheers, drums, and gongs with fierce competitions of racing boats on the river and has become an indispensable spiritual food.

Traditional boat racing and rowing festivals are spiritual foods that have permeated the blood of Le Thuy people (Photo: Nhat Anh).

As one of the long-time swimmers of Quy Hau village, Lien Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, Nguyen Van Thang said that swimming races are a combination of many different factors, so it is difficult to predict the results. However, as a village swimmer, once he gets on the boat and holds the oar, he is always determined and does his best to bring glory to the village.

Historian Dr. Nguyen Khac Thai, who has many years of research on the history and culture of the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang river, explains that the festival has its roots in the spiritual culture associated with agricultural residents.

Initially, it was a "praying for rain" ceremony with the purpose of praying for favorable weather, good harvest, etc. After the success of the August Revolution, the traditional boat racing and rowing festival on Kien Giang River was held to celebrate the nation's Independence Day.

Mr. Dang Dai Tinh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Le Thuy district, said that on the occasion of National Day September 2, many activities took place in this locality such as: Offering incense at the Memorial House of General Vo Nguyen Giap; men's and women's volleyball tournament; art program with the theme "Kien Giang - Proud Song"; trade fair...

On this occasion of September 2, many people and tourists came to offer incense and pay tribute to the General's contributions (Photo: Nhat Anh).

In particular, on the morning of September 2, the traditional boat racing and rowing festival took place on Kien Giang river. This year's festival has 24 male rowing boats and 10 female racing boats, competing on a 24km (for men) and 18km (for women) race track.

The festival has permeated the subconscious and blood of Le Thuy people, attracting the participation of tens of thousands of local people and tourists from inside and outside the province.

This is an opportunity for the locality to orient and promote the image of the land and people of Le Thuy - the homeland of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/ron-rang-tet-doc-lap-tren-que-huong-dai-tuong-vo-nguyen-giap-20230901160427276.htm