Things to know about Hung Kings Commemoration Day

The annual Hung Kings Commemoration Day is a national holiday, a day when all hearts, no matter where people live and work, beat as one, and all eyes look in the same direction.

The Significance of Hung Kings Commemoration Day

No matter where people go, they'll find their way back.

Remembering the Ancestor Commemoration Day on the tenth day of the third month.

Throughout the land, the song is passed down.

"Our land remains our homeland for a thousand years."

This folk song, imbued with deep affection and meaning, has resonated with the hearts of Vietnamese people from generation to generation. For thousands of years, Hung Temple – the origin of the nation and the country – has always been a revered and sacred symbol, uniting and binding the Vietnamese people. According to legend, Lac Long Quan and Au Co are considered the ancestors of the Vietnamese people, the parents of the Hung Kings. The Hung Temple Festival is also known as the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. Hung Kings' Commemoration Day takes place on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month every year at Hung Temple, Viet Tri, Phu Tho. Weeks before that, the festival features many folk cultural activities and concludes on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month with a procession and incense offering at the Upper Temple. Since ancient times, Hung Kings' Commemoration Day has held a special place in the consciousness of the Vietnamese people.

The annual Hung Kings Commemoration Day is a national holiday, a day when all hearts, no matter where people live and work, beat as one, and all eyes look in the same direction. On this day, people throughout the country also have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities expressing their reverence and gratitude to the Hung Kings who founded the nation and to the ancestors who defended the country for the people. The dossier submitted to UNESCO for recognition of the "Hung Kings Worship Belief" as a world cultural heritage clearly states the value of this heritage as an expression of respect for ancestors, in the spirit of "Drinking water, remembering the source" of the Vietnamese people.

The Hung Kings Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival is also an occasion to educate about the tradition of "drinking water, remembering the source," expressing deep gratitude to the Hung Kings who founded the nation and to our ancestors who bravely fought against foreign invaders to protect the country. It is also an important occasion to promote to the world an extremely valuable and unique heritage that has existed for thousands of years, deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds, becoming a traditional moral principle of our people throughout the country and overseas. It is a day for the entire Party, army, and people to wholeheartedly remember President Ho Chi Minh's admonition: "The Hung Kings founded the nation - we, their descendants, must together preserve it."

What offerings are made at the Hung Temple Festival?

According to Professor Ngo Duc Thinh (a researcher of folk culture), the offering of gifts should depend on each person's circumstances. Besides the two symbolic cakes of the Ancestor Commemoration Day, banh chung and banh day, people can also offer incense, flowers, or savory dishes like sticky rice and chicken… The important thing is sincerity, not the ceremony itself. “Offering gifts to ancestors is not about material things, but about offering the most essential and spiritually valuable items. A lavish feast without sincerity loses its value. Visitors can come to Hung Temple and simply light an incense stick to show their devotion to the Ancestor Commemoration Day and pray for something for themselves. The worst thing is to offer excessively lavish food without sincerity. A proper ceremony must include: giving thanks, repenting, praying, and making vows before offering gifts.”

Where should you go during the Hung Temple Festival?

After visiting Hung Temple and performing the rituals, the next places you should go are: the Hung Vuong Museum - which houses ancient artifacts from the Van Lang State, the Hung Vuong era of nation-building and defense; an art photography exhibition with the theme "Culture of the Ancestral Land - the Origin of the Vietnamese Nation" combined with art exhibitions by Korean and Phu Tho artists; an exhibition of stone sculptures with the theme "Uncle Ho with the People of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups"; and an exhibition of images about the Phu Tho Xoan singing heritage and the Hung Vuong worshiping belief in Phu Tho...

It is possible to commemorate the ancestors at home.

Cultural researcher Ngo Duc Thinh stated that going to Hung Temple on Hung Temple Day is not mandatory. There are currently 1,600 Hung Temple sites in Vietnam, and those living near them can visit. If one cannot attend the Hung Temple ceremony, they can prepare a meal to offer to their ancestors or simply light an incense stick at their ancestral home to remember their forefathers and commemorate the national anniversary.

T.P(synthetic)