Hung Temple, the place where the sacred souls of mountains and rivers converge, the place where the two words “compatriots” are united, always opens its arms to welcome all Vietnamese people on pilgrimage to Nghia Linh. The worship of Hung Kings, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO, has been promoting its value and becoming a unique cultural feature of humanity.

Vitality of Hung King worship

Since ancient times, the worship of Hung Kings has been deeply rooted in the subconscious of every Vietnamese person, creating a great value that connects compatriots and has lasting vitality from generation to generation, being the spiritual support that creates the everlasting strength of the nation.

This belief has an increasingly important position in spiritual life, carrying profound spiritual values ​​of emotion, self-respect and national pride. Throughout history, this belief has become a spiritual support, a belief in the sacred and miraculous power of ancestors for the Vietnamese people to strengthen the great national unity, join forces to defeat natural disasters, foreign invaders, and protect the country's borders.

According to researchers, the Hung King worship is part of the ancestor worship culture of the Vietnamese people. The Hung Kings were worshiped by the people at Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the whole country has 1,417 relics worshiping Hung Kings and figures of the Hung King era. In Phu Tho alone, there are 345 relics associated with villages worshiping Hung Kings, of which the Hung Temple National Special Historical Relic Site is the largest center for practicing Hung King worship in the country.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the whole country has 1,417 relics worshiping Hung Kings and figures of the Hung King era. In Phu Tho alone, there are 345 relics associated with villages worshiping Hung Kings, of which the Hung Temple National Special Historical Relic Site is the largest center for practicing Hung King worship in the country.

The Hung Kings' relics, along with rituals and festivals, are spread throughout the three regions of the North, Central and South. Together with the whole country, to pay tribute to the ancestors of the Hung Kings, on the 10th day of the third lunar month every year, overseas Vietnamese celebrate the Hung Kings' death anniversary, set up altars to worship the Hung Kings at the embassies and consulates of various countries to meet the need to turn to their ancestors and the nation.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dac Thuy, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho province, the strong spread and vitality of the Hung King worship and ancestor worship clearly demonstrate the traditional moral values ​​of the Vietnamese people that are preserved and passed down from generation to generation.

With these unique values, on December 6, 2012, UNESCO officially recognized the Hung King worship in Phu Tho as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In particular, the Hung King Commemoration and Hung Temple Festival are the pinnacle of the tradition of gratitude, remembering the source of water when drinking, and remembering the person who planted the tree when eating fruit.

The Hung Kings' death anniversary is also an occasion for all people from north to south, from the lowlands to the highlands, Kinh people or ethnic minorities, religious or non-religious, at home or abroad, to turn to the Ancestral Land, where the sacred energy of mountains and rivers converges, to respectfully light incense sticks to express gratitude for the Hung Kings' contributions to building the country, and to join hands to preserve and build a rich and beautiful country to fulfill the wishes of our ancestors.

Returning to the place of worship of the nation's ancestors is not only returning to the origin but also a pilgrimage to traditional faith, to the sacred and mysterious spirit of ancestors, of the sacred soul of the mountains and rivers. It is also thanks to the faith and the immortal worship in the consciousness of every Vietnamese child towards their ancestors, grandparents, parents and the Hung Kings that in historical periods, the strength of the nation has been multiplied many times.

Ms. Pham Thi Hoang Oanh, Deputy Director of Hung Temple Historical Relic Site, said that in recent years, Phu Tho province has developed a national action program to protect and promote the value of Hung King worship in Phu Tho. In particular, Hung Temple is identified as the largest and oldest center for practicing Hung King worship in the historical development process of the Vietnamese people.

Therefore, Phu Tho is paying special attention to organizing a variety of activities to introduce the Hung King worship belief to the general public. Every year, the province organizes many activities to introduce and promote the Hung King worship belief cultural heritage so that people can better understand the great value of this unique cultural heritage.

Spreading cultural values

These days, in Viet Tri city and the Hung Temple historical relic site, many rituals and cultural and artistic activities bearing the mark of the Hung King era are taking place, with the highlight being two cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO as “Hung King worship” and Phu Tho xoan singing. In particular, the ceremony takes place solemnly, respectfully, with a communal character, ensuring safety, civilization and economy.

The festival activities are closely linked with cultural, sports and tourism events to form a series of activities of the Cultural-Tourism Week of the Ancestral Land; demonstrating the unique cultural identity of the Ancestral Land, creating attractiveness and competitiveness to attract tourists, widely promoting the potential and strengths of Phu Tho cultural tourism resources.

As the largest and most unique place of worship in the country, in recent years, Phu Tho has invested in building the Hung Temple historical relic site to become more and more spacious and clean; the Hung Temple festival is increasingly civilized and exemplary, ensuring the best conditions for people when they come to offer incense to commemorate the Hung Kings.

Since the first day of the third lunar month, Hung Temple has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country and overseas Vietnamese to offer incense to commemorate the Hung Kings.

Mr. Pham Van Thiet, 64 years old, in Soc Son, Hanoi, said that for many years now, every year he and his children and grandchildren have returned to Hung Temple to offer incense to commemorate the Hung Kings. Hung Temple is increasingly spacious, worthy of being the place to worship the ancestors of the entire nation. Especially when returning here these days, the family can also participate in many unique cultural activities bearing the mark of the Hung King era.

Mr. Dang Thanh Tung, 30 years old, from Bau Bang District Youth Union, Binh Duong Province, added that this was the first time he had set foot in Hung Temple. Hung Temple was very spacious and clean. In addition to the ceremonies he attended such as the death anniversary of the National Ancestor Lac Long Quan and the incense offering ceremony in memory of the Mother Au Co, he also got to immerse himself in the cultural flow of the land of the ancestors bearing the imprint of the Hung King era such as xoan singing performances; swimming competitions on Van Lang Park Lake... along with many other folk performances and traditional games.

Mr. Pham Khac Dat, Director of Hung Temple Historical Relic Site, informed that in order to create the best conditions for people and tourists to visit Hung Temple, they have renovated the overall landscape of Hung Temple Historical Relic Site, ensuring that the landscape and environment of the festival area are always green, clean and beautiful; strengthening the management of sales and service business activities; preventing and handling street vendors who cause offense and frustration to tourists; maintaining, renovating and repairing infrastructure works in the area; strengthening inter-sectoral inspection of cultural, sports and tourism activities and services, advertising to ensure security, order and safety...

Mr. Nguyen Huy Ngoc, Vice Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee of Hung Kings' Commemoration Anniversary and Cultural-Tourism Week of the Ancestral Land in 2025, said that every year, on the 10th day of the third lunar month, Phu Tho province is honored to welcome millions of visitors from all over the country to offer incense and commemorate the Hung Kings.

With continuous efforts, the province has raised the level of organizing the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day and the Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week to become an exemplary, solemn festival imbued with national identity.

In particular, special attention should be paid to preventing traffic congestion and preventing businesses from arbitrarily increasing prices or ripping off tourists. Service businesses must publicly post prices to ensure transparency.

In addition, the province also resolutely prevents the situation of vagrants affecting the solemn image of the festival, while maintaining order, minimizing jostling and pushing, creating conditions for people across the country to participate in the festival safely, solemnly and respectfully.

According to NDĐT