Colourful boat races mark end of rainy season

(30 Oct 2015) LEAD IN: All eyes are on the water in Laos, where fast-paced boat races are taking place to celebrate the end of the rainy season. The races are held along various rivers in the landlocked Southeast Asian country, along with colourful floats and festivities. STORY-LINE: They've been in training for weeks, now these men from the small village of Hadxiang in Laos are ready to compete against other locations in their district. This 'Phantavong' Team from Hadxiang is celebrating the end of the country's rainy season with boat races, as are all of Laos' riverside communities in October. In Laos, Boun Xuang Huea - literally translated as 'Boat Racing Festival' - remains one of the major cultural events of the year. In a country where the vast network of rivers is the lifeline for rural communities and local economies, boats are considered sacred objects. Races are seen as tributes to water divinities. From generation to generation, farmers have turned into rowers once the rice planting season draws to an end. While rice paddies sprout, farmers use their time to attract the goodwill of the gods and strengthen ties of friendship with each other. It's a tradition which still runs deep in Laos' countryside. "It's our way to pray to the river divinities and celebrate them," says Phontavong team captain, Noukham Phontavong. "Moreover, during rainy season we don't have any work to do in the rice fields, so we have a lot of time to race boats all together." The festival has particular significance here in rural Laos, it's connected to the annual rice farming cycle. Around 85 percent of people here farm in order to feed themselves and their family. People still strongly believe water divinities will guarantee their rice crops produce a good yield, meaning competition can be fierce. The one-kilometre races are run as knockout heats, just two boats of 55 rowers race at a time. Each hope to eventually be selected for the spectacular finale, held on the Mekong River in Vientiane, Laos' capital city. It's a joyous and festive occasion that Lao farmers are keen to keep alive. "This tradition has been passed down from our ancestors," says Chanthone Kansila, the leader of Hadxiang Village. "It's a purely Lao tradition, very colourful, in which all the country is proud to participate. Every boat carries the pride of entire villages. "Our parents and grandparents passed down this culture to us and that's our role today: to preserve it, because it is very important for the Lao people." Like most rituals and festivals in Laos, the festival strongly combines Buddhist beliefs and coincides with significant dates in the religious calendar. On the day celebrating the end of Vassa, also known as Buddhist Lent, boat races nationwide are stopped. In every temple - like here in the capital's Wat Haysoke Temple - Buddhist monks return to their duties after a three-month rain retreat. They're welcomed with offerings of food and gifts. At night, families walk down to the river carrying carved wax candles in the shape of temples or boats. They're lit, then left to drift gracefully down the mighty Mekong River. It's traditionally believed the boats of light release harmful emotions as they float downstream. But in modern Laos, where 55 percent of the population is under 25-years-old, young people are looking for something a bit different from the ritual. "Boats of light can give us indications," explains Lao citizen Soulikone Thongsamouth. "For example, when you are a couple, you can send two boats: if they go off together then the relationship will be long. If they separate then you may break up!" The day following the end of Buddhist Lent marks the last stage and the highlight of the festival. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/6374b28a15a66eecb12cde7f4a61d8c9 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork