Minh Phương

PHÚ THỌ — Preparations are underway in Phu Thọ for the province's biggest event of the year, the Hung Kings' Festival.

Already streets leading to Hung Kings Temple are lined with national and festival flags as well as colourful banners to welcome the thousands of tourists and pilgrims expected to visit.     

In the days leading up to the event, many visitors have already arrived. 

Trần Văn Năm, 66, travelled from HCM City with his family to the province to offer incense at the temple. Năm said a visit to Phu Thọ on this occasion is rare for his family as they live so far away.

“We have a trip to some provinces in the north. It’s close to the festival day, so we choose to visit Hung Kings Temple in our trip," Năm said.

“To me, the event is one of the most important and sacred festivals. It is a day for every Vietnamese to remember their roots and pay tribute to their ancestors.

“My grandchild goes with us so I really want him to know about the story of the Vietnamese legendary ancestors Hung Kings through the trip.”

Some people from neighbouring provinces visit the festival every year to commemorate the anniversary of Hung Kings’ death and pray for good health and a prosperous year ahead.

A chưng and day cake-making contest held yesterday at the Hung Kings' Temple in Phu Thọ Province. The annual contest chooses who will be in charge of making the cakes to be offered to the Hung Kings next year. This weekend's Hung Kings' Festival is one of Viet Nam's most important holidays. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Le Xuan Lan, 34, from Tuyen Quang said: “I come here every year, it’s like a tradition in my family. I see that the temple is well-prepared to ensure the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control. I think it is a good measure for tourists coming to the temple on festival days.”

The main ceremony commemorating the anniversary will be organised on the 10th day of the third month of the lunar calendar. It falls on Sunday, April 10 this year.

This year, the festival will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the recognition of the worship of Hung Kings in Phu Thọ as the world's intangible cultural heritage in 2012 by the UN culture agency UNESCO. 

Phạm Thị Hoang Oanh, vice director of the Hung Kings' Temple Historical Relic Site, said all the work is ready for the big day.

“Up to now, the ceremonial activities holding at the relic site, which is the incense offering ceremony of 13 districts from Phu Thọ Province, was organised successfully," she said.

“The programme for the incense offering ceremony to the nation's legendary father Lạc Long Quan and the nation's legendary mother Âu Cơ, and to the Hung Kings are also well-prepared.

“The festive activities have been carried out together to serve pilgrims and tourists during the festival.” 

The exhibition with the theme of worshipping the Hung Kings is being held at the Hung Kings Temple Historical Relic Site.

Activities including contests making banh chưng (square sticky rice cake) and banh day (sticky rice bun), and folk music performances, staged by artists of the provincial traditional art troupe will be held during the festival.

Nguyễn Quang Học, an artist of Phu Thọ’s folk art troupe, said: “This year, the festival celebrates the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO recognition of the worship of the Hung Kings, so we try to bring local folk stories of the kings on stage to serve audiences.” — VNS