A busy and festive atmosphere can be felt everywhere in Viet Tri town, in the northern mountainous province of Phu Tho. This is the second year all the Vietnamese people can enjoy a holiday on the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary Day. It's expected that around 2.5 million of people will flock to the festival.

The Hung Kings Festival is the most important part of the programme “Back to Festive Region of Vietnam” which opened on the sixth day of the first lunar month at Au Co Mother Temple and will close on the tenth day of the lunar third month.

This year, Phu Tho province has restored and upgraded the Thuong (Upper) Temple. The Hung Kings Temple is well decorated. Many greeting gates, panels and large maps have been set up to give guidance to visitors.

Local authorities have paid more attention to services and security. The Legend restaurant can serve 600 guests at the same time.

Apart from the previous year’s traditional activities imbued with the culture of Phu Tho such as bronze drumming, lion dancing, wrestling and boating, this year will see more activities such as an exhibition cum fair introducing special fruits from provinces and cities with the theme “Best Fruits Offerings for the Hung Kings”.

The chung and day rice cake making competition has attracted the participation of 30 provinces and cities from the north to the south. The Hung Kings Museum will organise exhibition “Some Images on Hung Kings’ Death Anniversaries Nationwide – The Hung Kings’ Festival Past and Present.”  A musical performance and a poetry night will be held to warm up the festive atmosphere.

A seminar to work out criteria to develop “Cultural Space of Hung King Ancestral Land” will be organised for the first time for submission to UNESCO for recognition as world cultural heritage site.

The incense offering ceremony to commemorate the Hung Kings will take place at 7.30am on April 15 (or the tenth day of the third lunar month) at the Hung Kings’ Temple.

(Source: Nhan Dan)