(VOVworld) The Hung Kings Temple Festival has been held annually to commemorate the 18 Hung Kings who founded the country. The Festival has become a symbol of national unity and spirit and is a chance for Vietnamese people both at home and overseas to express their gratitude to their ancestors. The anniversary of the death of the Hung Kings, which falls on the 10 th of the third lunar month, has become a national celebration and holiday. Vietnam is completing a dossier to submit to UNESCO for recognition of the “Hung Kings Veneration Ritual” as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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| Part of the Hung Kings veneration ritual |
According to legend, Lac Long Quan, a dragon genie, got married to fairy Au Co who gave birth to a sack containing 100 eggs from which 100 babies were born. The eldest son, Hung Vuong, named himself king and the throne was passed down through 18 generations. This was the first state in the Vietnamese century in the 4th century B.C.
Archeologist Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of Hung Vuong Museum in Phu Tho province, says many artifacts found confirms the historical reality of Hung Vuong regime: “We have found many beautiful artifacts connected to the Hung Kings’ era. The land of Hung Kings is also full of folklore stories found in the community. There are various stories engraved on the site. We also found places where the Hung Kings taught local people to grow rice or led military training.”
The Hung Kings are worshipped in more than 1,400 relics across the country, which reflects the Vietnamese people’s respect to the ancestors. On the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, Vietnamese people all turn their hearts to the ancestral land of Viet Tri, Phu Tho to pay tribute to their nation’s founders.
Phu Tho province is also the cradle of Xoan’ singing, which has been recognized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection.
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| Xoan singing performance in Phu Tho |
Hat Xoan, a kind of folk song believed to have been created more than 500 years ago, includes duets and choruses, all accompanied by several kinds of dances.
Xoan festivals are often held in spring at village temples, especially during the Hung Kings Temple Festival. Nguyen Huu Nhan is a local folklore culture researcher: “The local culture in Phu Tho is imbedded with the Hung Kings’ era culture. This is vividly seen in various festivals and beliefs. Phu Tho has managed to restore the valuable folklore culture, including hat Xoan and hat Gheo, or dating singing, through club models. “
This year’s Hung Kings’ festival, which falls on late March, will feature palanquin procession hosted by local hamlets and Xoan singing performances attended by UNESCO Vietnam delegates and the diplomatic corps.
To Tuan