New features of Hung Temple Festival and Hung King's Death Anniversary 2013

(Baonghean) - In the past, the Hung Temple Festival was organized in a folk style by the villagers of Hy Cuong, Chu Hoa.

During the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, the feudal state had quite specific regulations on the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival, especially the Nguyen Dynasty in 1917 stipulated that the main festival would be held in even years, the main celebrant would be the Phu Tho governor, the assistant celebrant would be the Son Vi district official (Lam Thao), and the village chief of Hy Cuong. After the country gained independence (1945), the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day was maintained but still limited to the local scope. In recent years, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival has been held with the solemn and respectful stature of a national festival with many traditional folk cultural activities in a space extending from Hung Temple to Viet Tri and neighboring districts such as Lam Thao, Phu Ninh.

In 2013, the Hung Kings Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival, although an odd year, was hosted by the People's Committee of Phu Tho province, with the participation of 9 provinces: Lang Son, Ha Nam, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Dak Lak, Binh Dinh, Dong Nai, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Tien Giang according to the project of contributing resources to organize the annual Hung Kings Commemoration Day approved by the Prime Minister. However, this was a special Hung Kings Commemoration Day associated with the organization of the ceremony to receive the certificate of UNESCO recognizing "Hung Kings Belief in Phu Tho" as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Therefore, the festival lasted 7 days with many special activities in the ceremony and festival.

At the Hung Temple historical relic site on the 4th day of the 3rd lunar month (April 14, 2013), a ceremony was held to honor and receive the certificate of recognition for “Hung King Worship in Phu Tho” and to open the Hung Temple Festival in the year of Quy Ty (2013). A large art program with the theme “Sacred Origin – Hung King Ancestral Land” with the direct participation of 1,500 actors, mass art stars, and folk artists. Notably, at this ceremony, there were representatives of 24 countries in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Implementation of the 2003 UNESCO Convention, embassies of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, and Japan; delegates from provinces and cities of countries having cooperative relations with Phu Tho province and a number of representatives of Vietnamese embassies abroad.

Tourists visit Hung Temple. Photo: Huu Tuan

On the 6th day of the third lunar month, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Organizing Committee will hold the Commemoration Ceremony of the National Ancestor Lac Long Quan and the Commemoration Ceremony of the Mother Au Co; organize a traditional palanquin procession of 7 communes, wards and towns in Viet Tri City and Lam Thao District. On the 10th day of the third lunar month, Phu Tho province will hold an incense offering ceremony to commemorate the Hung Kings at the Thuong Temple. Activities taking place at the Hung Temple Relic Site include: The 3rd Phu Tho Xoan Singing and Folk Song Festival of Xoan singing wards, Xoan Singing and Folk Song Clubs of localities in the province; cultural camps, art performances, exhibitions of products and culinary culture of 13 districts, towns and cities; folk song and cultural art exchanges of northern provinces and cities with intangible heritages recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, performances by 12 professional art troupes serving the people attending the Festival at Hung Temple, Viet Tri City and neighboring districts; Organize traditional sports tournaments: men's volleyball, chess, traditional wrestling, crossbow shooting of districts, towns and cities; organize big screen movie screenings and tourism service activities and display products and souvenirs to serve the people.

In Viet Tri, a street festival with the theme: "The culture of the Hung Kings' homeland converges and shines" was held with the participation of nearly 3,000 people, an exhibition of artifacts at the Hung Kings Museum, an art photo exhibition with the theme "The culture of the homeland - the origin of the nation" associated with an art exhibition by Korean and Phu Tho authors. A volleyball tournament for strong national teams competing for the Hung Kings' Cup 2013 was held, a Hung Kings' friendship tennis tournament, and a rowing competition on the Lo River. In particular, on the evening of the 4th of the 3rd lunar month, a high-altitude fireworks display was held at Hung Kings' Square.

New this year, the festival stage stretches from Hung Temple to Bach Hac and Lam Thao and Phu Ninh districts combined with many promotional activities to introduce and propagate the cultural tourism potential of Phu Tho. For the first time, Phu Tho organized the ancient Xoan singing program in the tour from Viet Tri - Hung Temple - Kim Duc - Phuong Lau to serve tourists; organized incense offering ceremonies at all Hung King worshiping relics. On the occasion of the Hung Temple Festival in the year of Quy Ty (2013), a number of key cultural works were completed and put into use: such as the 50ha Hung King Square, the walking path system in the 5-way intersection area, Gieng Temple - Hung Temple relic site.

In order not to upset the people and tourists, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day Organizing Committee (2013) directed units and localities to be determined to implement: No traffic jams, no beggars, homeless people, no soliciting of visitors in the Hung Temple Relic Site, no use of loudspeakers at excessive capacity, no butchering of wild animals for sale in restaurants...

Hung King's Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival in the past, present and future is always a spiritual gathering point towards the origin of the nation, ancestors, those who have contributed to building the village and the country of all Vietnamese people!

Tran Van Quang (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho)