On April 16 (the10th day of the 3rd lunar month) Party General Secretary Nguyen PhuTrong burnt incense to commemorate the Hung Kings’ death anniversary at the Hung Kings Temple historical relic site in the northern province of Phu Tho.

Party leader Nguyen PhuTrong and other senior leaders at a ceremony commemorating the Hung Kings' death anniversary 

In the sacred moment, General Secretary Nguyen PhuTrong along with Party and state leaders and local authorities offered incense, flowers and offerings to the Hung Kings who laid the foundations for the modern country. 

They prayed for peace and prosperity for the homeland while pledging to work together to protect the country and build a thriving nation.

On the same day, the officials also offered incense at the temple for legendary founder Lac Long Quan who laid foundations for the nation.

According to Vietnamese legend, the 18 Hung Kings ruled during the first period of Vietnamese history, from 2879-258 BC.

The Hung Kings Festival is held annually from the eighth to the eleventh days of the third lunar month.

To honour their great history, a 1,030 hectare complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain , and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings. 

There are 1,417 sites dedicated to worshipping the Hung Kings and the related figures in their era across the nation, including 326 sites in Phu Tho province.

The worshipping ritual of the Hung Kings is closely related to the ancestor worshipping traditions in most Vietnamese families, which forms an important part of people's spiritual lives. 

It was recognized by UNESCO as part of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

This year, a broad array of activities are underway from April 12-16, such as banh chung (square cake) and banh giay (round sticky rice cake) making contests, sports events, a folk song festival and a street carnival that introduces the diversity of the province’s folk culture to visitors.

VOV