Pokhara—Pokhara is all set to host Nepal China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival 2023 from June 23 to 24 in Fewa Lake. Nepal Tourism Board, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nepal, and Pokhara Metropolitan City have joined hands to organize the Festival.
According to Nepal Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Dhananjay Regmi, the event is co-organized by the Pokhara Tourism Council and the Overseas Chinese Association of Pokhara which is a very popular tourist destination among Chinese visitors. The Dragon Boat Race has been held in more than 50 countries and regions and has entered the Asian Games. The event will be launched as an annual tourism product, thereby, diversifying the tourism product of Pokhara and increasing the visibility of Nepal worldwide. The event is also the first of its kind in Pokhara and in Nepal as well as South Asia.
CEO Regmi further informed that the eight boats crafted especially for Dragon Boat Racing and other necessary items arrived in Pokhara through the Kerung border. The Deputy Mayor of Linzhi City, a sister city of Pokhara, will be arriving by chartered flight on 21st June with the players and others for the event. There will be altogether 120 players from all seven- provinces of Nepal and China for the event. According to him, a chartered flight from China to PIA will be operated targeting the festival.
The players will compete in 200 meters and 500 meters segments and receive cash prizes, medals, trophies, and certificates. Along with this, cultural programs and food stalls of both countries will be an added attraction at the event. The festival to be made a yearly event in Pokhara is believed to class the premier holiday destination. With the opening of the new Pokhara International Airport, the event is expected to be a milestone in highlighting Pokhara globally.
Nepal and China have enjoyed strong cultural and socio-economic ties as per early records documented before the millennium. The two nations share close geographical proximity and of course the Himalayas along a common border frontier. China is an extremely important tourist source market for Nepal. Tourist arrival from China was highest in Nepal just before the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has witnessed momentum in the travel between Nepal and China.
Chinese Embassy to Nepal high-level official Wang Xin, Pokhara Tourism Council Chairman Pom Narayan Shrestha, and Pokhara Metropolitan City spokesperson Motilal Timsina also put their remarks during the press meet held in NTB in Pokhara on Friday.
Leave a Reply