The Hung Kings Temple festival will see no visitors being overcharged, nor illegal dishes of endangered wildlife on sale this year , the organising board said at a press conference in Hanoi on March 30.

Scene at a Hung King Temples festival.

Accordingly, three inspection teamswill be established for regular checks, while a hotline active around the clock will be set up to receive feedback.

Local shop owners will be required to post their fixed prices for all services.

The 2016 Hung Kings Temple Festival is scheduled to take place from April 12-16 with a string of new activities.

A street festival in Viet Tri City, a cultural concert and a firework display will be highlights of the event.

In addition, there will be a number of exhibitions displaying photos, paintings, documents and objects that feature Hung Kings worshipping rituals as well as the land and people of Phu Tho, along with performances of Xoan singing and contests of making “Chung” and “Day” cakes, which are closely related to legends on the Hung Kings.

Venues for the festival include the Hung Kings Temple Relic Site, Viet Tri city, communes around the Hung Kings Temple, and areas near relics dedicated to worshipping Hung Kings and their famous generals under the dynasty, all across the province.

The event will see the participation of the northern province of Vinh Phuc, the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai and the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc and Ca Mau.

The Hung Kings founded the first nation in the history of Vietnam, called Van Lang, in Phong Chau, now Phu Tho province. Ruling the country through 18 generations (2879–258 BC), the Hung Kings taught locals 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.

To honour their great history, a 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.

The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings was recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

VNA