Hung Kings Festival opens

(Cinet)- An opening ceremony of the Hung Kings Temple Festival took place at the Lac Long Quan Temple in the Hung Kings Temple relics in Phu Tho on April 8 (6 of lunar March).

The festival started with incense offerings at the Lac Long Quan Temple and Au Co Temple in the Hung Kings Temple relic complex.

A ceremony presenting 13 offerings from 13 districts and town in the province is one of the highlights of the festival.

Delegates and pilgrims expressed their gratefulness to Lac Long Quan and Au Co - the ancestors of the Vietnamese and Hung Kings who laid the foundation for the Vietnamese nation.

On the same day, men’s volleyball, chess, wrestling and crossbow shooting tournaments took place with the participation of amateur players from 13 districts and towns in Phu Tho province.

Every year, a large number of visitors from all over the country participate a national festival - Hung King Temple Festival - an incense offering ceremony in honor of Hung Kings, who were instrumental in the founding of the nation.

The worship ritual originates from ancestor worship rituals in Vietnamese families and has become a significant cultural festival for the people. It helps to link the past and the present and foster strong sentiments of Vietnamese people for their families and country.

The ritual is significant in the mind of Vietnamese people as it confirms that they have the same father and mother. The origin reminds Vietnamese to always unite, love and protect each other.

The worship of Hung Kings originates from Hung Kings dynasty in the belief that all Vietnamese people have the same origin “Dragon’s children and Fairy’s grand-children”; and also expresses Vietnamese philosophy “When drinking water, remember the source” and the spirit of great national unity.