Hung Kings Festival, an opportunity to recall nation’s roots

Wherever you go, you should always remember the Hung Kings Festival. The saying has been embedded in the conscience of Vietnamese people from a thousand year. And it has been a tradition, that whenever this day comes, millions of Vietnamese people make their pilgrimage to the holy land to worship their ancestors.

Hung Kings Festival always attracts a lot of pilgrims.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, there are over 1,400 places of worship dedicated to Hung Kings, and others related to the Hung Dynasty.  Over the past five years, there are many temples in dedication of Hung Kings being renovated and newly built in many provinces of Ca Mau, Gia Lai and Lam Dong. Annually, on the 10th of the 3rd lunar month, provincial administration across the country respectfully organise worshipping ceremonies in commemoration of the Hung Kings’ deeds to the nation.

The Hung Kings Festival is an important national event. The Vietnamese people organise such a festival to express their appreciation and thanks to the Kings who had set up, built and protected the nation for centuries. Through generations, the festival in commemoration of the ancestors has always upheld the spirit of “drinking water, remembering the source”. The festival is a reminder and an opportunity to pay gratitude to the ancestors. This is an expression of a good virtue by the Vietnamese people that we all have the responsibilities to keep.

The festival observes various rituals to worship Hung Kings.

In 1990, the Party and State have decided to recognise the Hung Kings Festival as the nation’s festival. On August 21, 2001, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) issued a Decision, number 39/2001/QÐ-BVHTT, to provide detail regulations on the celebration of Hung Kings Festival nationwide. On this day, people all over the nation, and Vietnamese people abroad, depending on their respective circumstances, can make their pilgrimage to the land of Hung Kings for worship.  Meanwhile, at the Hung Kings Temple, the Vietnamese people can organise the worshipping ritual, in remembrance of the Kings that first established the nation.   

The symbols of Hung Kings are the fine cultural standards of Vietnam, representing the climax of the tradition of worshipping ancestors that has been kept for centuries. Vietnamese people, wherever they go, all remember the saying about the Hung Kings Festival. The festival is a traditional and educational activity for all Vietnamese people. The Hung Kings Festival is a confirmation of patriotism, remembrance of the ancestors’ deeds, as well as the spiritual strength of national unity. That is the strength that helps the nation overcome hardships of war, natural disasters, etc., toward a better future, towards a Vietnam of prosperity and strength.