On the evening of January 3, Muong Lay Town held the opening ceremony of the 10th Swallow Tail Boat Racing Festival, the 5th National Paragliding Club Championship, and the 1st Jet Surfing Event for 2025. The ceremony was attended by Comrades: Giang Thi Hoa, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Council, and Pham Duc Toan, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee.

Provincial leaders presented flags to the delegations of athletes participating in the 10th Swallow-tail Boat Racing Festival, the 5th National Paragliding Club Championship, and the 1st Jet Surfing Championship.

In recent years, Muong Lay town has organized and implemented many programs, solutions, and activities to contribute to preserving and developing the traditional culture of the ethnic people in the area such as: Organizing the traditional Swallow-tailed Boat Racing Festival; preserving and promoting tangible and intangible cultural values ​​such as: the Đàn Tính (a traditional lute), Thai folk singing, and ancient Thai dances. This focus on cultural preservation has revitalized the unique traditions of river life, particularly the use of swallow tail boats, deeply intertwined with local lifestyles. Hosting the annual Swallow Tail Boat Racing Festival continues to inspire the community, helping to maintain and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the ethnic people of the town in particular and of the ethnic people of the Northwest region in general.

Art performance to open the opening ceremony.

The 10th Swallow Tail Boat Racing Festival, the 5th National Paragliding Club Championship, and the 1st Jet Surfing Event feature a variety of exciting activities, including: Boat races in men’s doubles and mixed-gender doubles; Paragliding competitions and jet surfing events; Traditional sports competitions and folk games; Cultural and tourism exhibitions showcasing local agricultural products; Experiential activities, such as jet surfing, paragliding, and exploring the local reservoir; Trekking tours, cultural exchange programs, traditional costume shows, and folk art performances, particularly highlighting the unique culture of the White Thai people of Muong Lay.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Hoang Van Quyen, Chairman of the Muong Lay Town People’s Committee, highlighted the success of the nine previous Swallow Tail Boat Racing Festivals and two editions of the National Paragliding Club Championship. He invited visitors to experience the town’s unique beauty, characterized by traditional stilt houses of the White Thai people, their reflections shimmering on the Da River, creating a distinctive image of "town within a village" and "boats beneath stilt houses."

Visitors also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of Muong Lay’s ethnic groups, participate in traditional sports, and witness daring, unique sporting events. These activities contribute to the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values while introducing Muong Lay’s local tourism to a broader audience.

In his opening speech, Chairman of Muong Lay Town People's Committee Hoang Van Quyen said: Muong Lay Town has successfully organized the Traditional Swallowtail Boat Racing Festival 9 times, and successfully organized the National Club Paragliding Championship 2 times. Coming to Muong Lay town on this occasion, people and tourists will be able to visit the beauty of an urban area with traditional "neighborhoods" of stilt houses of the White Thai people reflecting on the Da River, creating a unique beauty of "village streets", "on the wharf, under the boat"; experience the unique culture of the ethnic groups in Muong Lay town, experience the traditional ethnic sports of the locality and unique adventure sports tournaments. Thereby, contributing to preserving, conserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the ethnic groups and promoting local tourism to a large number of tourists.

Following the evening’s cultural performances, the delegates and local residents joined hands in a solidarity Xoe dance, symbolizing unity and community spirit./.

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