(VOVworld) – Activities are taking place in the northern province of Phu Tho to mark the 60th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to the Hung Kings temple and 45 years of carrying out his will. President Truong Tan Sang offered incense in commemoration of the Hung Kings, the founders of Vietnam, and prayed for national peace and prosperity.

President Truong Tan Sang places flowers to pay tribute to the Hung Kings. (Photo: VOV)

He said: “For generations, Vietnamese people have honored the Hung Kings as the founders of the nation. Vietnamese people, wherever they are, are always proud of their origin as the children of the Dragon and descendants of the Fairy. The Hung Kings temple and ritual honoring the Hung Kings are part of the cultural identity and tradition of the Vietnamese people. The ritual reminds all Vietnamese, who share the same root, to be united and to love and protect each other.”

After the ceremony, President Sang and Phu Tho leaders placed wreaths in tribute to the late President Ho Chi Minh, who visited the Hung Kings’ Temple in 1954 after successfully leading the country’s nine-year resistance against French occupation.

President Sang called on Vietnamese people to be united in defense of the country.

President Truong Tan Sang and former soldiers of Brigade 308 read Uncle Ho's teaching.(Photo: VOV)

Colonel Tong Xuan Dai, a former soldier of Brigade 308, the first ground brigade of the Vietnam People’s Army, attended the historic event on September 19th, 1954. He said: “I had the honor of guiding President Ho Chi Minh to the Hung Kings temple to talk with soldiers and officers of Brigade 308 and assign tasks to them. I’ve returned here several times. This time, I noticed that the site has been upgraded and beautified to attract more visitors. It’s like another teaching of Uncle Ho – when the American invaders are defeated, we will rebuild our land ten times more beautiful.”