AsemconnectVietnam -  Around 100 paragliders from clubs nationwide and foreign countries will compete in the Quang Ngai Open Paragliding Championship on Ly Son Island off the coast of Quang Ngai province from June 20-24.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Minh Tri said this will be the first time the province has hosted a paragliding event on the island.

He said it will draw pilots from Vietwings Hanoi, Dong Bac club, News Sky, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Japan and Indonesia.

Pilots will take off from a point on Thoi Loi Mountain, 170m above sea level, and land on the runaway of Ly Son heliport.

There will be qualifying rounds and a final over the course of two day for cash prizes totalling 50 million VND.

The organisers said the championship aims to promote the culture and geology of the Island as the province prepares for the recognition of Ly Son-Sa Huynh Geo-Park.

Ly Son Island was created from volcanic eruptions 25 to 30 million years ago, leaving landscapes with caves, cliffs, rock arches and a lake.

The island, known as the "Kingdom of Garlic" in Vietnam, is a tranquil destination with 21,000 inhabitants, most of whom make their living from farming garlic and spring onions and fishing. It hosts more than 200,000 tourists each year.

Source:VNA