The anniversary began on April 7 on Nghia Linh Mount in Lam Thao district, in the northern midland province of Phu Tho to commemorate Hung Kings’ dead anniversary.

The festival started with an incense-burning ceremony to Lac Long Quan and Au Co, the legendary parents of the nation, and the Hung Kings, the first rulers of Viet Nam.

After the ceremony, representatives for 13 towns and districts in the province brought offerings to the ancestors.

On the same day, many sports competitions of Chinese chess, wrestling, volleyball and archery were launched.

A 700sq.m mosaic of 1,400 pottery pieces, entitled Ngay Hoi Non Song Tren Dat To (National Festival in the Ancestors’ Land), was unveiled during the festival.

The mosaic features images of the Sun and the Moon representing the sky and the Earth, a dragon, a phoenix, six young women carrying offerings, Lac Long Quan, Au Co, and their children.

The mosaic tells the legend of Lac Long Quan, a dragon, who met and married fairy Au Co, who later gave birth to 100 children.

The couple then parted due to their different origins. The man went seawards with 50 of their children, while his wife went to the mountains with the other half of the clan.

The eldest son, who followed his mother, later installed himself as Viet Nam’s first Hung King and today’s Vietnamese people are said to be descendants of those children.

Embedded in a frame of cement and steel, the mosaic was created by artists Le Ngoc Han and Mai Van Ke, architect Ngo Thanh Tung and the Huu Nghi Arts Company. It was planned in 1998 and has been in construction since last year at Bat Trang Village in Ha Noi.

Many historic buildings have been restored to prepare for this year’s anniversary, including the Ha (Lower) Temple and the Gieng (Well) Temple, both of which are located in the Hung Kings Temple complex.

Meanwhile, Phu Tho Province will also host an international seminar on “The worship of Hung Kings” as part of an effort to bid for UNESCO’s recognition of the festival as intangible cultural heritage.

The province also plans a fireworks display for 9pm on Monday. The festival’s most important ceremony will be held on Tuesday.

This year’s festival was expected to draw 6 million domestic and international visitors, organising board head Nguyen Thi Kim Hai said.

Legend has it that Lac Long Quan, whose real name was Sung Lam, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu, married the daughter of De Lai, fairy Au Co.

Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which soon hatched into one hundred sons, believed to be Vietnam’s ancestors. But soon after, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coasts with 50 children, Au Co went to the highlands with the others.

Their eldest son was made the King, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (nowadays Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province), starting the 18 reigns of Hung Kings.

The commemoration of the Hung Kings is sacred to the Vietnamese people, who take the occasion to strengthen national solidarity and the resolve to build a strong and prosperous country.

It was made a national event in 2007, and the country is seeking UNESCO’s recognition for the worship of the Hung Kings as an intangible heritage of mankind.

The festival will close on April 13.

In the morning of April 7, more than 300 businessmen came to the

Hung Kings Temple in Nghia Linh to burn incense.

On April 6, Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan presented insignias to

businessmen who have made great donations to the Fund for the Poor

of Phu Tho Province, in the program entitled “Vietnamese businessmen directed

towards the ancestral land”.

Thousands of visitors have flocked to Nghia Linh Mount.

Many activities are organized on the occasion.

Including a camping contest, a house-on-stilt making
contest

Palanquin procession.

Making rice cakes to offer to Hung Kings.

PV