KATHMANDU, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A Nepal-China friendship dragon boat race festival is to be held for the first time in the South Asian region from June 23 to 24 in Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city, aiming to strengthen their relationship.

During the two-day festival co-hosted by Pokhara Tourism Council and Overseas Chinese Association of Pokhara, a total of eight teams involving 120 Nepalis and Chinese shall compete on Pokhara's Phewa Lake, a popular tourist attraction in Nepal.

Addressing a press conference in Kathmandu on Thursday, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Dhananjay Regmi voiced his appreciation of efforts by the Chinese embassy to bring Chinese tourists to Nepal.

"The dragon boat competition will not only bring Chinese tourists to Nepal, it will also mark the commencement of international flights to the Pokhara International Airport," Regmi said of planned chartered flights to the China-built airport which was put into operation on Jan. 1.

The festival will also feature cultural and food programs to celebrate China's traditional Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22 this year.

"Dragon boat races are held to laughter and cheers, symbolizing the people's hope for peace and prosperity and wishes to ward off evils and seek blessings," Wang Xin, counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, said at the press conference.

"Dragon boat races combine both entertainment and competition and represent the spirit of unity and collective progress," he added.

Wang expressed his belief that the event will not only boost cultural exchanges and tourism cooperation between the two countries, but will also contribute to the building of a closer China-Nepal community of common destiny, and "push our cross-Himalayan friendship to a new height." Enditem

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