According to the legend, Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co then went on to give birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which hatched into a hundred sons. However, soon thereafter, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest.
Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city in Phu Tho province), beginning the 18 reigns of the Hung Kings.
The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops.
To honour their great contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the 10th day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the Hung Kings.
The worship of the Hung Kings, closely related to the ancestral worship traditions of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012.
This year, the Hung Kings Temple Festival is being held in the northern midland province from April 9 to 18 (or the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month), along with the Culture and Tourism Week of the Ancestral Land.
Over 2.5 million go on pilgrimage to ancestral land
Some 2.5 million people flocked to the northern midland province of Phu Tho to celebrate the annual Hung Kings Temple Festival as of April 23 (the eight day of the third lunar month), said the organising board.
Hung Kings Worship – A Source of Strength for the Nation
It became a great significant cultural event of Vietnam when “The Worship of Hung Kings in Phu Tho” was officially recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of mankind by UNESCO. It is the first time the custom of worshipping the ancestors of a nation was honoured by UNESCO, thus adding another precious heritage to the cultural treasures of humanity.
Adopting technology in keeping ‘Xoan’ singing alive
NDO – As 'Xoan' (Spring) singing is faced with the risk of being lost forever, Hung Vuong Museum in Phu Tho province, with the help of several researchers, have put forward a digital solution to preserve the heritage.
Hung King museum embodies Vietnam’s glorious history
Part of the Hung Temple Historical Relic Complex, Hung King National Museum in Viet Tri city, boasts a unique architecture and embodies Vietnam’s glorious history. The museum is a source of pride for Vietnamese people.
Cultural activities to be showcased at Hung Kings Temple Festival
An exciting array of events are to be featured during the Hung Kings Temple Festival in the northern province of Phu Tho between March 24 and April 2, or from the first to the 10th day of the third lunar month, as a means of paying tribute to the nation’s founders.
