Nepal Tourism Board, in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, and Pokhara Metropolitan City, organised the first Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival in Pokhara on Friday 23 June 2023.
According to the organisers, the festival aims to boost cultural ties between the two countries and attract Chinese tourists to Nepal.
Ambassador of China to Nepal Chen Song acknowledged the longstanding economic, social, and cultural bonds shared between Nepal and China. He expressed optimism that this festival would foster stronger relations between the two countries at a people-to-people level and contribute significantly to the promotion of tourism in Nepal.
Dhananjay Regmi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board, highlighted the importance of China as a major tourism market for Nepal. He said he hoped that the event, being organised for the first time in Nepal, would add new dimensions to the country's tourism sector and further enhance tourism prospects in Pokhara.
Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhanraj Acharya emphasised the festival's role in introducing innovative tourism products in Pokhara.
He also expressed his commitment in making the event a regular occurrence, rather than a one-time happening.
The competition will witness the participation of four Nepali teams and four Chinese teams, totalling 160 participants from seven provinces of Nepal and China.
