President Vo Van Thuong offers incense on Hung Kings' death anniversary in 2023

President Vo Van Thuong and senior leaders of the Party and State attended the incense offering ceremony to commemorate the Hung Kings in the year of Quy Mao - 2023. Photo: Trung Kien/VNA

Also attending the ceremony were Politburo members: Tran Thanh Man - Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly; General To Lam - Minister of Public Security; General Luong Cuong - Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army.

Also attending the ceremony were comrades: Bui Thi Minh Hoa - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Commission; Do Van Chien - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Tran Luu Quang - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister.

President Vo Van Thuong and senior leaders of the Party and State held a ceremony at the Upper Temple.

Representatives of central agencies, provinces, cities and thousands of people were also present early to offer incense in memory of the Hung Kings.

At exactly 6:15, the delegates gathered in full force in front of the ceremony yard at the Hung Temple Festival Center. In a solemn atmosphere with majestic music, at 6:30, the delegation along with the ritual group, the palanquin procession, and offerings departed from the Hung Temple Festival Center yard, gradually moving through the Nghi Mon, Ha Temple, Trung Temple to Thuong Temple.

Leading the procession was the honor guard carrying the national flag, festival flags and wreaths bearing the inscription "Forever grateful to the Hung Kings for their contributions to building the country". Following behind were young women wearing red ao dai carrying incense, flowers, and offerings, and 100 representatives of the Lac and Hong descendants in ancient costumes, holding high festival flags, demonstrating the strong vitality of the Fairy - Dragon lineage, along with the procession offering incense, flowers, Chung cakes, and Day cakes associated with the legend of Prince Lang Lieu and the concept of Round Heaven - Square Earth of our ancestors.

Next were delegations of leaders of the Party, State, central agencies, localities; leaders of Phu Tho province, departments, branches, unions, districts, cities, towns and people attending the incense offering ceremony.

President Vo Van Thuong offers incense at Hung Kings' Mausoleum. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

At Kinh Thien Palace, on the sacred Nghia Linh mountain, with a sincere heart to pay tribute to the ancestors, demonstrating the Vietnamese people's morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", President Vo Van Thuong and other Party, State and local leaders entered the Upper Palace to offer incense and flowers, expressing deep gratitude to the ancestors who built the country so that their descendants could continue the Lac Hong tradition to build a rich and civilized Vietnam like today.

In the sacred moment of the Hung Kings' death anniversary, millions of Vietnamese hearts at home and abroad turn to Hung Temple with reverence to remember and show gratitude for the merits of the Hung Kings and our ancestors who built and defended the country.

On behalf of more than 90 million Vietnamese people, Mr. Bui Van Quang - Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee respectfully read the memorial service for the Hung Kings, expressing deep gratitude to the Hung Kings and their predecessors for their contributions to building and defending the country; respectfully reporting to the souls of our predecessors about the great achievements that our entire Party, people and army have achieved in the cause of innovation, integration and development of the country. Remembering our ancestors, the Hung Kings who opened the source of the nation, established the Van Lang state, laying the foundation for the everlasting development of the nation and people.

In 2022 and the first months of 2023, the world situation continues to fluctuate in a complex and unpredictable manner. Besides opportunities and advantages, our country faces many difficulties and challenges; many new problems arising from practice need to be solved. In that context, under the leadership of the Party and State; the drastic and flexible direction and management of the Government; the proactive, active and accompaniment of the National Assembly; the efforts of all levels, sectors and localities; and the solidarity and consensus of the entire people, our country has gradually overcome difficulties; effectively handled outstanding issues; promptly responded to emerging challenges; flexibly adapted to the new situation; created favorable conditions to promote socio-economic recovery and development.

The macro economy is stable, inflation is under control, economic growth is recovering positively, major balances of the economy are ensured in difficult conditions. Cultural and social fields continue to receive investment and development attention, achieving many important results.

The material and spiritual life of the people has been constantly improved. Foreign relations and international integration continue to be implemented synchronously, comprehensively, flexibly and effectively. National defense and security have been consolidated and enhanced; independence, sovereignty, a peaceful and stable environment have been maintained. The country's potential, position and prestige, and the overall strength of the nation and people have been constantly enhanced; continuing to affirm the Party's leadership and wisdom and the strength of the great solidarity bloc of the entire Vietnamese people.

Before the spirit of our ancestors, the Party Committee, Government and People of Phu Tho province vow to continue the Dragon Fairy tradition, promote patriotism and revolutionary spirit; strive for the cause of building and defending the country of our ancestors. Continue to innovate thinking and act more positively and effectively, promote the will of self-reliance and the strength of great national unity, combine with the strength of the times, make the country develop more and more powerfully and prosperously, and glorify the nation's legacy.

The Party Committee, Government and People of all ethnic groups in Phu Tho province are honored to represent our compatriots nationwide and overseas Vietnamese to preserve the ancestral shrines. We vow to unite as one, build our homeland and ancestral land to become increasingly prosperous; take care to renovate and embellish the places of worship so that the descendants of Lac Hong can worship them forever.

Lac Hong's descendants vow to forever remember President Ho Chi Minh's advice:“The Hung Kings built the country/We, uncle and nephew, must work together to protect the country.”. May the Holy Ancestor bless the country with prosperity, peace, people's security, and longevity for all generations. May the rains be favorable, the winds be peaceful, people be healthy, and things be prosperous; may the whole country overcome difficulties and challenges, and successfully carry out the set goals and tasks. May the descendants of Lac Hong in all parts of the country and our overseas compatriots always be healthy, safe, and enjoy peace.

President Vo Van Thuong offered flowers to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh at the relief “Uncle Ho talking with officers and soldiers of the Vanguard Army Corps”. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Next, Party and State leaders and delegates laid wreaths and burned incense at Hung Kings' Mausoleum; offered flowers at the relief of Uncle Ho talking with officers and soldiers of the Vanguard Army Corps at the Gieng Temple Five-Way Intersection.

At the same time, in localities where there are temples to worship Hung Kings and famous people and generals of the Hung Kings' era across the country and in the whole Phu Tho province, incense offering ceremonies were simultaneously held to commemorate the Hung Kings according to traditional rituals.

Immediately after the incense offering ceremony, millions of compatriots at home, overseas Vietnamese and international friends respectfully paid tribute to their ancestors, offered incense to commemorate the Hung Kings and participated in traditional cultural activities. To ensure absolute safety for the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day 2023, from 6 a.m., nearly 1,000 police officers, soldiers and youth union members were mobilized to ensure security and order for the incense offering ceremony. The Organizing Committee arranged for police, union members and youth to set up soft fences on both sides from the central festival yard to the temple gate.

This year's Hung Kings' Commemoration Day and the Ancestral Land Tourism Week coincided with the April 30 and May 1 holidays, so the number of tourists and people from all over the country coming to Hung Temple to participate in the Commemoration Day activities increased. On the main anniversary day, thousands of people were present early to offer incense.

This year's Hung Kings' Commemoration Ceremony is associated with the 2023 Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week with many rich activities, demonstrating the unique cultural identity of the Ancestral Land. Phu Tho Province has carefully prepared to ensure the solemn, dignified, and respectful ceremony with a profound community character. The festival activities are organized in a joyful and healthy manner, closely linked with tourism, to introduce, promote, and honor the values ​​of the unique cultural heritage of the Ancestral Land.