(VOVworld) – The Death Anniversary of the Hung Kings, the founders of the Vietnamese nation, on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month is a holy day for all Vietnamese people. No matter where they are living, on this day, Vietnamese people always turn their minds towards the original land of the Hung Kings in Hy Cuong commune, Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province. VOV’s reporter Le Phuong talks about the worship of the Hung Kings and its significance in the lives of Vietnamese people.
The Death anniversary of the Hung Kings on Nghia Linh mountain, Phu Tho province |
The Death anniversary of the Hung Kings and the Hung Kings Temple festival are annually held in Phu Tho province to enhance patriotism and honor the Hung Kings and generations of Vietnamese ancestors. The Death anniversary of the Hung Kings is a national festival.
The origin of national unity
The Hung Kings regime was an important period in Vietnamese history. It created the basis of Vietnamese culture and patriotism. The Hung Kings’ worship day honors the morality of “remembering the source of the water we drink”, a byword of the Vietnamese people.
Legend says that father Lac Long Quan and mother Au Co gave birth to a pouch of 100 eggs which hatched 100 children. When they grew up, 50 children followed their father to the sea and the rest followed their mother to the mountains. The stories implies that all Vietnamese people have one origin which is the root of affection, mutual support, and unity.
Katherine Muller Marin, UNESCO Chief representative in Vietnam, says: “Vietnamese people believe that they were all born from the same mother Au Co’s magical egg. All Vietnamese people descent from a common ancestor. This celebration is a reminder of how important solidarity and unity is to this country, how important it is the value of diversity united by one single origin, one single blood relationship resulting from the love of Au Co, a young and beautiful lady, and Lac Long Quan, the dragon King from the sea. May this believe holds this nation together forever and guides its people to coexist sustainably, well preserving, and promoting cultural diversity.”
When he was alive, President Ho Chi Minh told the soldiers of the Vanguard Brigade at the Hung Temple on September 19, 1954, that “the Hung Kings founded the nation, you and I must protect it.”
The Hung Kings’ worship is a symbol of community cohesion and unity. Based on its cultural and historical values, in December, 2012, UNESCO recognized the Hung Kings’ worship in Phu Tho as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO said the Hung Kings ritual reflects Vietnamese people's respect for their ancestors, which boosts national pride and connects the community.
Connecting Vietnamese people in both thinking and action
Vietnamese people consider the Hung Kings temple a holy place where they come to worship the ancestors. On the anniversary day, Vietnamese people make a pilgrimage to the Hung Kings’ original temple on Nghia Linh mountain in Phu Tho province and to other temples across the nation to pray for spiritual support and national unity.
Kieu Anh from Quang Binh province shares her feeling: “I feel it is a great honor to visit the Hung Kings temple and offer incense on their altar. Like many other people, I’m moved to think of our origin.”
The Hung Kings worship is an occasion for the family to get togethers. Nguyen Tuan Anh of Hanoi says: “We are Vietnamese people and we can never forget the nation’s founders. Each person expresses his feeling differently. My family prepares square glutinous rice cakes, round cakes, fruits, and flowers and offer incense on the ancestral altar.”
An old saying “no matter where we go, we remember the death anniversary of our ancestors on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month” reminds all Vietnamese people of their origin.