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(Photo collected)

In the historical process of building and defending the country, in the minds of every Vietnamese people for generations, the Hung Kings are the National Ancestors who built the first state in history, the common ancestor of the entire Vietnamese nation. Therefore, Hung Kings' Death Anniversary is the time for the whole nation to commemmorate to their ancestors who contributed to the birth of the race; opened up the territory, developed the country.

Hung Kings' Death Anniversary and Hung Temple have for many generations been symbols that have been deeply ingrained in the sacred hearts of every Vietnamese person. This is a spiritual convergence point, cultural identity and spirit of great national unity; is a source of spiritual strength that helps the Vietnamese people steadfastly overcome all hardships and challenges, unite and accompany to defeat all natural disasters and enemies.

Origin of the belief in worshiping Hung Kings

The belief in worshiping Hung Kings originates from the belief in ancestor worship, one of the specific beliefs, has a very special position in spiritual life and is one of the elements that create a unique cultural identity of the Vietnamese ethnic community. Through many historical events, the Vietnamese people's belief in ancestor worship has always occupied a sacred position in the spiritual life of ethnic communities; preserved and handed down through many generations with lasting vitality and increasingly spread in the social community and existed through all political institutions.

The belief in worshiping Hung Kings is the highest expression of Ancestor Worship, expressing the unique cultural identity of the Vietnamese community, which is gratitude to Hung Kings and the predecessors with their contribution in the country’s establishment. In the minds of Vietnamese people, Hung Kings are the founders of the Vietnamese people. With respect and gratitude to Hung Kings, the Vietnamese community voluntarily worship Hung Kings, turning the worship of Hung Kings into a belief, a cultural symbol creating a tradition of solidarity, love, and care and together overcome all difficulties and challenges to build and protect the Fatherland.

The worship of Hung Kings was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 6, 2012. This is to promote unity in the cultural diversity of the Vietnamese ethnic community.

Hung Kings Temple Festival has important values ​​in the minds of Vietnamese people (Photo: Collected)

Hung Kings' Death Anniversary - Hung Kings Temple Festival in history

Since the ancient times, Hung Kings’ Death Anniversary has had a special position in the minds of Vietnamese people. The Household records of Hung Kings (1470) wrote: "From the Dinh dynasty, the Le dynasty, the Ly dynasty, the Tran dynasty and then to our current dynasty, the Later Le dynasty (1418 - 1527), there is still the incense and smoke in the temple in Trung Nghia village (now Fairy Village). Here people from all over the country come to worship to commemorate the merits of the ancient Holy Patriarchs”.

The Nguyen Dynasty continued to honor the Hung Kings with the policy of national unity, assigning localities to declare miracles; arrange the procession of the Hung Temple relic to worship in Hue Citadel. At the same time, the royal court provided money to restore and embellish the temples: the Front Temple, the Middle Temple, the Back Temple, and Well Temple. According to the rule of the Nguyen Dynasty’ Kings, every 5 years (in round and even years), the state organized the Commemoration Ceremony (National Holiday) at Hung Temple, and in odd years, it was organized by the locality. In the 2nd year of Khai Dinh dynasty (in 1917), governor Le Trung Ngoc asked the Ministry of Rites to "set a national holiday on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month every year as the day the whole country for the celebration of Hung kings’ Death Anniversary".

The Ministry of Rites has examined and strictly regulated the costumes, offerings, and rituals on the Ancestor's Death Anniversary. The ceremony is solemnly performed in the temples on Hung Mountain. The festival includes many folk performances taking place around the foot of Hung Mountain. Hung King's Death Anniversary on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month every year is formalized by law. And since then, March 10th has become the national Ancestor's Death Anniversary and has entered folk poetry.

“No matter who goes back and forth

Commemmorate the death anniversary on the 10th day of the third month"

That folk song imbued with gratitude has entered the sacred heart of every Vietnamese person, a form of oral transmission for the worship tradition so that every Vietnamese person for many generations has considered the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary as a commemmoration to the nation's roots.

Many activities are held at the annual Hung King Commemoration Ceremony (Photo collected)

Hung Kings' Death Anniversary - Hung Temple Festival today

After the August Revolution of 1945, our Party and State paid great attention to Hung Temple, President Ho Chi Minh, Party and State leaders all came to visit this relic. Continuing the noble tradition and moral principle of "When drinking water, remember the source" of the ancestors, right after the successful August Revolution, President Ho Chi Minh signed "Presidential Decree No. 22/SL dated February 18, 1946", for "Civil servants working daily at public offices have the right to receive salary" on the day of Hung Kings' Death Anniversary.

On the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary in the year of the Dog 1946 - the first year of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Mr. Huynh Thuc Khang - Acting President of the country presented a map of the Vietnamese Fatherland and a precious sword to report to the Ancestors about the invasion of the country and pray for the Ancestors to bless the nation and its people, a peaceful world to unite together, defeat the invaders, and protect the territorial integrity of the country.

Hung Kings' Death Anniversary is formalized by the state with regulations on sacrifices, incense offering, and the formal organization of state agencies. Decree No. 145/2013/NĐ-CP dated October 29, 2013 of the Government on regulations on the organization of commemorative days; ceremony of presenting and receiving awards and emulation titles; foreign affairs ceremonies and meeting and receiving foreign guests, including specific regulations on the scale of organizing the Hung Kings' Commemoration Anniversary: In ​​Odd-numbered years, other years, in Phu Tho, Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Phu Tho province organized the incense offering ceremony. Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee is the Chairman of the incense offering ceremony; Provinces and centrally run cities with relics and temples of Hung Kings (Binh Thuan province has a temple of Hung Kings in Phan Ri Cua town, Tuy Phong district) organize incense offerings to commemorate; Memorial rituals are performed uniformly throughout the country according to the instructions of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In Full years: Organize the Hung Kings Commemoration Ceremony at the national level. In Phu Tho, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presides and coordinates with the People's Committee of Phu Tho province to organize the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary; The President is the Chairman of the incense offering ceremony; Party and State leaders, former Party and State leaders, leaders of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, departments, ministries, branches, central organizations, representatives of overseas Vietnamese and representatives of Provincial leaders Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Phu Tho province attend the celebration.

The annual Hung Kings Commemoration Ceremony is held in Phu Tho province (Photo collected)

Today, the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary is solemnly held according to national cultural traditions. The ceremony included the offering of incense and flowers by delegations from the Party, Government, and provinces, which are held solemnly and respectfully. The festival organizes many diverse forms of cultural activities around the foot of Hung Mountain: Folk performances (playing bronze drums, gongs, banh chung wrapping- cooking contest, make fire to cook rice ....), professional art troupes of provinces and cities, mass performing arts teams, and sports competitions are organized in a regular manner, imbued with original culture. People in localities with relics (communes, temples, shrines...) worshiping Hung Kings and historical figures related to the Hung Kings period voluntarily organize sacrificial activities, carry palanquins to Hung Temple, and prepare offerings from local specialties to offer to the Hung Kings, and participate in folk cultural activities.

Hung Kings' Death Anniversary has increasingly profound significance in the cultural and spiritual life of the community. From the center of worshiping the Hung Kings on Nghia Linh mountain to the relics worshiping the Hung Kings, famous people and generals of the Hung King period both domestically and internationally all simultaneously hold the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary on the 10th day of the third lunar month in dignified, respectful, and meaningful ways, in deep meaning of eduation of national consciousness, love for homeland and country. The Hung Temple Festival in the Hung Kings Worship Belief has reached the pinnacle of sublimation to become a festival of the nation, a festival of the entire people.