From the fourth to the sixth day of the first lunar month, islanders and visitors from the mainland come together on Ly Son for the boat race.
The festival is also an opportunity for local fishing families to pray for prosperity, peace, and smooth voyages at sea.
The festival also aims to pay homage to the island’s ancestral inhabitants and the soldiers who fight for national sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.
The Tu Linh boat racing festival is associated with Vietnam’s long history, when residents from the mainland settled on Ly Son Island between the late 16th century and the early 17th century under the Le Trung Hung Dynasty and the Nguyen Lords.
The Tu Linh boat racing festival has been preserved by the people of Ly Son Island for nearly 200 years.
It was designated a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021./.
