Vietnam prepared to celebrate Hung Kings fest tomorrow

The Hung Kings festival, which pays tribute to the country-founding kings and has grown into a national grand ceremony, will be organized in the northern province of Phu Tho from April 5 to 9.

The grand ceremony will correspondingly run from the 6th to the 10th of the third month in the lunar calendar. Since 2007, the 10th day, which falls on April 9 this year, has become one of the country's national holidays.

Apart from host province Phu Tho, the event will be simultaneously held in other cities and provinces, including Hanoi, Bac Ninh Province, Quang Binh Province in the north; Da Nang City in the central part; Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City, Vinh Long Province, and Long An Province in the south.

Main venues include the Hung Temple relic on the Nghia Linh mountain, Phu Tho’s capital Viet Tri City and surrounding areas, as well as other temples dedicated to country founders Hung Kings, (2879 BC – 258 BC) and their notable officials throughout the province.

The highlights of the festival will be tributes to Lac Long Quan and Au Co, Vietnamese people’s legendary parents, with the main activities including offerings to the Kings and palanquin processions to take place at 7:00 am on April 9.

This year’s festival is also aimed at promoting the time-honored rituals devoted to the Hung Kings and the province’s hallmark “hat xoan” (traditional northern music), which has earned the UNESCO recognition.

The genre is believed to have gained wide popularity among ordinary people back in the Hung Kings’ times before Lan Xuan, the queen of Ly Than Tong, one of the Ly Dynasty Kings (1009-1225), had veteran artists turn it into the tribute music to perform at temples and villages put up in honor of the kings.

Artists from original “hat xoan” villages will also showcase their singing skills at the festival as part of the efforts to rekindle the century-old form of traditional music.

Other UNESCO-recognized genres, “Don ca tai tu” (southern traditional music) and “quan ho” (northern love duets) will be performed to locals and tourists’ delight as well.

Participants can take part in a host of folk games, including swings, wrestling, human chess, singing challenging, along with several other traditional art performances.

According to the organizers, offerings in record sizes will not be welcomed at this year’s festival, as in previous years, giant bottles of wine or cans of beer triggered harsh criticism from pilgrims and visitors.

The Hung Kings festival, considered the country’s “mecca,” is of momentous significance to locals’ spiritual life for centuries.

The festival has been attended by several thousands of locals, overseas Vietnamese, and expats each year.

On odd years, Phu Tho Province is mostly responsible for organizing the ceremony. On even years like this year, the event is held on a national scale.

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