The racing will carry on over the weekend and will see victors go through to the three-day-long finals which are scheduled for 24 October. Announcing this year’s festivities, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Thawatchai Arunyik stated that Nan’s boat racing was a major draw for domestic and international tourists.
He expounded by saying that the competing craft were spruced up for the event. The boats are crafted from massive logs and have dragon-like naga images as figureheads to ward off evil spirits. The nagas, the boats and the crews themselves are all brightly coloured and add to the general air of gaiety.
Although other Thai towns such as Ayutthaya stage annual boat races, Nan’s is far and away the biggest and attracts upwards of 200 boats. This may not seem a lot, but some of the bigger boats need 60 rowers to propel them.
Local legend says the first boat races in Nan were staged to mark the donation of new robes to monks at the end of the period of the Buddhist Lent. Nan holds a fair alongside the racing. Attendees can sample local beverages and delicacies as well as pick up a traditional souvenir as a present or personal memento.
Nan all set for annual longboat racing
News in Asia
Local officials in Nan say that the scene is all set for the first leg of the annual longboat races held on the Nan River. The festival is a celebration of Northern Thai culture and heritage and the first racers will be on starting orders on Saturday 21 September.