VietNamNet Bridge – The annual Hung Kings Memorial Festival (Hung Temple Festival) hosted by the northern province of Phu Tho is approaching. Organisers have put together an exciting list of events, including contributions from neighbouring provinces.

Fit for a King: A long list of ceremonial events are to take place at the upcoming annual Hung King Temple Festival. VNA/VNS Photo

The event will consist of various ceremonies and entertaining activities between April 21 and 25 (the 6th to 10th day of the third month of the Lunar New Year). It will be a gathering space for tourists, local traders and entertainers from Phu Tho Province as well as from the four provinces of Binh Duong, Kien Giang Thai Nguyen and Quang Nam.

Last year’s festival had a turnout of over three million people, so local authorities are making an extra effort to ensure the smooth execution of this year’s celebrations.  

The festival will include a ceremony dedicated to the Hung Kings, a memorial to mark the death of National Father Lac Long Quan, and an incense offering ceremony to the National Mother Au Co. There will also be a palanquin carrying ceremony at the Hung Temple Complex, a memorial for the ancestors of the Hung Kings, xoan (spring) singing in Phu Tho and a folk street carnival.

Communities in Phu Tho Province will perform artful items, for example: locals from Thanh Thuy District will act in the Dao Xa elephant procession ceremony, people from Lam Thao District will perform activities in the Tro Tram Festival, and entertainers from Doan Hung District will perform walking on stilts.

Various vocal folk activities from districts such as Thanh Son, Yen Lap, Ha Hoa, Cam Khe and Tan Son will take place at the event.

Dozens of exhibitions will take place to advertise local culture, there will aslo be cake making contests, and sport tournaments and folk games will be organized throughout the province.

A night market and a food street will be organised in a pedestrianised zone to entertain tourists throughout the celebration.

Melodious Xoan singing will be performed at the Lai Len Temple, and the Thet and Kim Dai communal houses in the Kim Duc and Hung Lo communes of Viet Tri City.

Local authorities will uphold a five pillar policy throughout the festival. This includes limiting traffic jams, curbing over-charging of tourists, ensuring there is no unsafe food, no violence, and a zero tolerance stance on begging.

The organizing board has set up hot lines for tourists to use leading up to the occasion: the numbers are 02103860026 and 02106551666.

Vietnamese legend has it that Lac Long Quan, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong, married Au Co, the daughter of King De Lai. Au Co then gave birth to a sack containing 100 eggs from which 100 children were born. 

The couple then decided to separate in order to populate the land. Half of the children followed their mother to the highlands, while the rest went with their father to the sea.

The first child went with his mother Au Co to Phong Chau, now Phu Tho Province. He then became King Hung and founded Van Lang - the first recorded nation in the history of Vietnam.       

Ruling the country for 18 generations, the Hung Kings taught the people how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for lush crops.

Source: VNS