Pride in its roots: the Hung Kings’ Commemoration Festival originated from the contributions of the Hung Kings in founding the Van Lang state and is a vivid symbol of national solidarity and Vietnamese national pride. It is not only an occasion to remember the Hung Kings but also a time for every Vietnamese person to affirm traditional cultural values, strengthen solidarity and maintain pride in the tradition of remembering one’s roots.
Year after year, the festival not only preserves historical values but also becomes a strong spiritual anchor connecting generations of Vietnamese people, whether at home or around the world, and continuing the nation’s enduring cultural heritage.
An enduring spiritual anchor
The history of the Vietnamese nation began with the Hung Kings era, when the Hung Kings opened up, expanded and built the Van Lang state. In recognition of their great contributions, Vietnamese people have honored the Hung Kings as the nation’s founding ancestors for thousands of years.
Throughout history, this belief has become a spiritual anchor and a faith in the sacred, miraculous power of the ancestors, inspiring the Vietnamese people to strengthen national solidarity, join forces to overcome natural disasters and foreign invaders, and protect the country’s territory. Worship of the Hung Kings has become a custom and belief passed down from one generation to the next.
This is a rare phenomenon, if not unique in the world: the entire Vietnamese nation recognizes itself as sharing a common origin (as compatriots) and a common ancestral tomb, while the Ancestor’s Commemoration Day has become a national ceremony for worshipping and commemorating the Hung Kings—the common national ancestors of the entire country and people.
Every year, on the 10th day of the third lunar month, Vietnamese people around the world turn toward the common national festival—the Hung Kings’ Commemoration Festival. Over time, pride and sincere gratitude for the ancestors’ merits have spread increasingly strongly. More and more people make pilgrimages to sacred Nghia Linh Mountain, especially during the annual festival.
Reaching every region
Every year, on the 10th day of the third lunar month, Phu Tho and many localities throughout the country organize incense-offering ceremonies and commemorations of the Hung Kings, expressing the people’s solemn respect and reverence for the nation’s roots. The Hung Kings’ Commemoration Festival has become a national holiday solemnly observed by Vietnamese communities around the world. It is an occasion for people to remember their ancestors, express deep gratitude, affirm their love for their homeland and spirit of national solidarity, and show pride in their roots and in the strength of solidarity throughout history.
Drum performance at the incense-offering ceremony at the Temple of the Hung Kings, the nation’s ancestors, in Tan Hiep Commune, Tan Hiep District. (File photo)
Folk ritual honoring the founding ancestor Kinh Duong Vuong and the Hung Kings in Ha Tinh. (File photo)
Cultural performance at the 2023 Hung Kings’ Commemoration Festival at the Hung Kings’ Temple in Phan Ri Cua Town, Tuy Phong District. (File photo)
Source: Collected