(VOVworld) – The first boat racing festival in Muong Lay town began on January 1 in the attendance of approximately 10,000 local residents of different ethnicities and visitors.

During the two-day event, 230 athletes will participate in a ceremony to pray the Water Genie for luck to the contestants. The festival, the first in Dien Bien province, is aimed at restoring and preserving the ethnic cultural values and promoting the province’s tourism potential.