Dragon boat and SUP races «Hanoi Dragon Boat-SUP Open 2026»

   A dragon-headed boat with twelve people on board, a drum keeping the stroke, and stand-up paddlers on the same water: for a day and a half, West Lake (Hồ Tây) in Hanoi becomes a race course. Crews come from embassies, companies, universities and the city's wards and communes, and winners take home airline tickets as well as medals.

   The event is organised by the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Vietnam Airlines under the city's cooperation agreement with the airline, and marks the 72nd anniversary of the capital's liberation. The organisers expect 48 dragon boat crews and 150 SUP athletes.

   At a glance:

• — dragon boats race 500 m with a turn at the 250 m buoy, each crew with ten paddlers, a drummer and a helmsman;
• — six dragon boat groups: international teams and provinces; embassies, international organisations and study-abroad alumni; clubs and companies; Hanoi universities and colleges; men's and women's crews from wards and communes;
• — SUP: a 250 m sprint and a 2,000 m technical race with turns, for men and women separately;
• — the Family+ Relay Race over 500 m for an adult and a child aged 10 to 12, and the SUP Team Challenge over 500 m for teams of six.

   New this year: a day and a half of racing, a broader SUP programme and two crews from Vietnam Airlines Group. The winning crew in each dragon boat group gets 15,000,000 VND plus a return ticket on an Asian route for every member, and the top three in the individual SUP races and the family relay also win cash and flights.

   Dragon boats have raced on West Lake since 2018, when 27 teams from seven districts took part, according to Vietnam News. SUP joined in 2025: Vietnam Airlines counted 423 competitors, and the US team won the international dragon boat group ahead of Sweden and the United Nations.

   It makes a good weekend outing for families, lakeside walkers and the expat community, since embassies, international organisations and companies all put crews on the water. Company and university crews can still enter the dragon boat race until 23 September: the fee is 2,000,000 VND per crew (free for Hanoi ward and commune teams), boats and life jackets are provided, and every paddler must be able to swim at least 100 m. SUP registration has closed.

   The schedule: on 3 October, SUP heats and semi-finals run from 13:30 to 17:00. On 4 October the opening ceremony starts at 08:00 in Ly Tu Trong flower garden (Vườn hoa Lý Tự Trọng), dragon boat heats and repechages follow from 09:00 to 12:00, dragon boat semi-finals and finals plus the SUP finals run from 13:30 to 17:00, and the closing and awards ceremony starts at 17:00 in the garden. The event area covers the garden, the lake and the Nguyễn Đình Thi – Thanh Niên road axis; the schedule may shift with entries and weather.

   Contacts for teams: email [email protected]; dragon boat entries from wards, communes and Vietnamese teams: Mr Nguyen Van Chi (Nguyễn Văn Chi), 0986 132 007; international teams, embassies and organisations: Mr Nguyen Vo Hung (Nguyễn Võ Hưng), 0943 119 686.

   Traditional dragon boats and modern paddleboards on the same stretch of water make a fine reason to spend the weekend by West Lake and cheer on the crews.