He made the remarks at a grand ceremony in the northern midland province of Phu Tho on April 13 to receive a UNESCO certificate of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity bestowed to the worship of Hung Kings.

The event coincided with the opening ceremony of the Hung Kings Temple Festival (or the fourth day of the third lunar month) which aims to honour the country’s founders.

It was attended by Party, government and provincial officials along with representatives of UNESCO’s Secretariat, 25 countries in the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, among others. 

Addressing the event, President Sang spoke highly the Phu Tho people’s great contributions to preserving and promoting the values of the ritual. 

He said as a spiritual ritual to pray for peace and prosperity for the country, the practice of worshipping Hung Kings also reminds the Vietnamese of constantly consolidating their unity and protecting and helping one another in different circumstances. 

The ritual has become a cultural identity and a traditional moral standard of the Vietnamese. It shows gratitude the offspring have owed to the founders in the national construction and development course, he said. 

After the certificate presence, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Anh Tuan called for join cooperation among relevant ministries and agencies to raise people’s awareness on further preserving and promoting the values of the worshipping ritual as well as relic sites at the Hung Kings temple. 

Phu Tho province alone has 181 relic sites dedicated to worshipping Hung Kings, the kings’ family relatives and their commanders, while the figure is 1,471 nationwide. 

The province has worked out a concrete plan to step up measures to conserve and uphold the precious values of the heritage. 

Vietnamese legends recount the rule of the 18 Hung King dynasties during the first period of Vietnamese history, between 2879-258 BC. 

The worshipping rituals are closely related to the worship of ancestors that is a tradition of most Vietnamese families and an important part of the people's spiritual lives. 

The Worship of Hung Kings was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity at the seventh session of the UNESCO committee in Paris on December 6, 2012. 

On April 14, an incense offering to Hung Kings was held at Kinh Thien palace, Hung Kings temple complex.

VOV