VI
EN
No matter where people go, they'll find their way back.
Remembering the Ancestor Commemoration Day on the tenth day of the third month.
Those folk verses have been deeply ingrained in the hearts of every Vietnamese person, serving as a reminder of their sacred origins as "Descendants of the Dragon and the Immortal." The Hung Kings' Commemoration Day is not only an occasion for our people to gather together but also to awaken pride in the nation's strength and the unique cultural identity of the Vietnamese people.
This is also a day for us to express our profound gratitude to the Hung Kings, the kings who founded and defended the nation, and to pay tribute to our ancestors who sacrificed their lives and blood to protect the country. The spirit of "drinking water, remembering the source" is clearly demonstrated through the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, reminding each person of their responsibility to preserve and promote the nation's fine traditions.
The spirit of "drinking water, remembering the source" is clearly demonstrated through the Hung Kings Commemoration Day.
What is Hung Kings Commemoration Day?
Legend has it that King Kinh Duong Vuong had a son who later succeeded his father as king, taking the regnal name Lac Long Quan. Lac Long Quan married Au Co, a beautiful fairy who descended to earth, and they gave birth to a hundred eggs that hatched into a hundred children - the ancestors of the Bach Viet people.
However, because Lac Long Quan possessed the nature of a Dragon and Au Co the nature of a Fairy, and "water and fire are incompatible," the two had to separate. Lac Long Quan led fifty children to the sea, while Au Co and fifty children went to the mountains. Lac Long Quan's eldest son was crowned king, succeeding his father and taking the title Hung Vuong. After eighteen generations of Hung Vuong, the eighteenth Hung Vuong abdicated in favor of Thuc Phan, also known as An Duong Vuong.
Panoramic view of the Hung Temple historical site (Phu Tho province)
To commemorate the great contributions of the Hung Kings, King Le Thanh Tong in 1470 and King Le Kinh Tong in 1601 copied and sealed documents recording the achievements of the Hung Kings, preserving them at Hung Temple. The 11th and 12th days of the third lunar month were chosen as the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. During the Nguyen Dynasty, in the second year of the reign of Khai Dinh (1927), the 10th day of the third lunar month was officially chosen as the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day.
Every year, on the 10th day of the third lunar month, the hearts of every Vietnamese person turn towards their roots, towards the Hung Kings who founded and defended the nation. This is a holiday of immense historical and cultural significance, an occasion for the descendants of Lac Hong to remember the great contributions of their ancestors.
In 2007, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam officially recognized the 10th day of the third lunar month as a national holiday.
In 2007, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam officially recognized the 10th day of the third lunar month as a national holiday. This decision affirms the position and importance of the Hung Kings Commemoration Day in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.
In 2012, UNESCO officially recognized the "Hung Kings Worship Belief in Phu Tho" as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This event marks the importance of the Hung Kings Commemoration Day to the Vietnamese people and the world.
In 2012, UNESCO officially recognized the "Hung King Worship Belief in Phu Tho" as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Hung Temple Festival - A journey back to our roots.
The Hung Temple Festival is one of the largest national-level festivals, showcasing the long-standing cultural traditions and fervent patriotism of the Vietnamese people. This is a national festival of utmost sacredness, solemnly celebrated annually with grand national ceremonies, attracting hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people from all over the country and overseas to "return to their national roots."
The festival takes place at Hung Temple (Phu Tho province), lasting from the 8th to the 11th of the third lunar month every year, with the 10th being the main day of the festival. The festival is divided into two parts: the ceremonial part and the festive part.
The Hung Temple Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people from all over the country and overseas to "return to their national roots".
The ceremony is conducted solemnly, in the manner of a national ceremony, expressing reverence and gratitude towards the Hung Kings. The offerings include the "three sacrificial animals" (one pig, one goat, and one cow), banh chung (square sticky rice cake), banh day (round sticky rice cake), multicolored sticky rice, etc.; the main musical instrument is the ancient bronze drum. After the bronze drum sounds, the dignitaries will perform the ritual under the direction of the chief officiant. Following this, the village elders around Hung Temple will also participate in the ritual. Finally, the people and pilgrims will offer incense and commemorate the Hung Kings.
The festival features numerous recreational activities showcasing the unique cultural identity of the Vietnamese people. Notable activities include Xoan singing competitions, sticky rice cake wrapping contests, tug-of-war, cockfighting, and stick pushing. The Hung Temple Festival is an opportunity for the descendants of Lac Hong to commemorate the contributions of the Hung Kings in founding and defending the nation, while also fostering patriotism and a sense of responsibility in building and protecting the country.
The Hung Temple Festival is one of the largest national-level festivals.
The Hung Kings Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival is an extremely important occasion for us to introduce to the world a priceless cultural heritage of the Vietnamese nation. This heritage has existed for thousands of years, deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds and becoming a traditional moral principle of the people throughout the country and overseas. This is a day for the entire nation to express its profound gratitude to the Hung Kings who contributed to the founding and preservation of the nation, and to remember President Ho Chi Minh's admonition: "The Hung Kings contributed to the founding of the nation - we, their descendants, must together preserve it."
Hung Kings Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival is an extremely important occasion for us to introduce to the world a priceless cultural heritage of the Vietnamese nation.
