It was a display of strength and grace as scores of oarsmen in 300 racing boats yesterday took part in the annual dragon boat race on the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The race is the main feature of the kingdom's Water Festival, which marks the reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap river, a phenomenon that occurs when monsoon rains bloat the Mekong River. That pushes the water of the Tonle Sap river in the other direction. Prime Minister Hun Sen and senior government officials greeted Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni as the yearly extravaganza kicked off yesterday. Besides the boat race, concerts and fireworks have also been organised for the three-day festival.