Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Raft racing on Ky Cung river

Rafting is one of the activities of the Ky Cung - Ta Phu Temple Festival in Lang Son province, Vietnam, held in the first lunar month, originating from the belief of worshiping the river god of local people. The 2024 race has 24 teams competing on the 800m track. When the referee gives the signal, the rower must focus on controlling the raft, not going off course and reaching the finish line as quickly as possible. Before reaching the finish line, each raft will have to rotate 3 times around the flag buoy and flip the raft 3 times (according to local cultural beliefs).

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2024
Photo Location: Lang Son, Vietnam
Camera: FC7303
Copyright: © Minh Chu Van