The anniversary of the 18 Hung Kings and the Hung Temple’s festival have indicated the spirit of Vietnam’s national great unity and become an opportunity for all Vietnamese people, either living in the country or abroad, to show profound gratitude towards their ancestors for the making of the nation.

Each year, on the 10 th day of the third lunar month, overseas Vietnamese join Vietnamese from all parts of the country to flock to the Hung Temple historical relics in northern mountainous Phu Tho province to pay respects to the nation’s fore-fathers, the Hung Kings and to promote the Vietnamese saying “Remember the water source when you drink it.”

There are thousands of temples nationwide dedicated to the Hung Kings. Many overseas Vietnamese return to the homeland to acquire some earth and water in the Hung Temple to make ancestors’ altars in their resident countries.

The anniversary of the 18 Hung Kings and the Hung Temple’s festival are held annually to mark the nation’s 18 first kings whose regime was an impressive, brilliant and outstanding start for Vietnam as a sovereign nation in the nation. In 1917, the Hue dynasty chose the 10th day of the third lunar month each year as the celebrated date.

The Vietnamese State officially recognized the celebrated date of the 18 Hung Kings, the 10 th day of the third lunar month, as a day for national celebration in 2000. In 2007, the National Assembly approved a regulation to permit workers to have the day off with unchanged salary.

Hung Temple is located on Nghia Linh mountain range, 100km northwest of Hanoi in Phong Chau district, Phu Tho province. This is an architectural design with ancient royal tombs and temples. The most attractive tourist destination is the Ha temple with the legend that the wife of Lac Long Quan (King Dragon of the Land of Lac ), Au Co, gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs from which 100 babies were born.

According to the legend, one day, Lac Long Quan told his wife "I descend from dragons and you from fairies. We’re as incompatible as water and fire and we cannot continue in harmony." The king parted from his queen, going to the sea with 50 of his children and his wife moved to the mountains, followed by the rest of the clan.

The eldest son, who was with his mother, established himself at Phong Chau, now the southern part of Phu Tho province, and made himself the king. That was King Hung 1 whose realm was made up by 50 tribes.

The 18 Hung kings then ruled the country from 2879 to 258BC.

During this year’s Hung Kings festival, a series of cultural, athletic and artistic performances will be held apart from fireworks display. An exhibition of localities’ fruit specialities, a contest for wrapping square cakes and rice cakes and a poetry night will also take place.

Phu Tho province is collaborating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to make scientific dossiers on the Hung Temple to submit to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation for recognition as the world cultural heritage site.

(Source: vietnamtourism.gov.vn)