Millions of Vietnamese people gathered in Hung Kings' Temple on April 9 to join the national festival to honor the Hung Kings, the founders of the Vietnamese nation.
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Continuous lines of people coming to commemorate the Hung Kings - A symbol of national solidarity |
This is deeply rooted custom in the minds of Vietnamese people in and outside the country.
The festival takes place over several days, but the 10th day of the third lunar month is considered the most important one. It demonstrates a strong desire for national prosperity and symbolizes community spirit.
The Hung Kings complex is located on Nghia Linh Mountain, Phong Chau district, about 100km Northwest of Ha Noi. It is a complex of ancient tombs, monuments and temples.
Legend has it that Lac Long Quan, whose real name was Sung Lam, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu, married the daughter of De Lai, fairy Au Co.
Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which soon hatched into one hundred sons, believed to be Vietnam’s ancestors. But soon after, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coasts with 50 children while Au Co went to the highlands with the others.
Their eldest son was made the King, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (nowadays Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province), starting the 18 reigns of Hung Kings.
Along with the solemn rites to represent respect for the ancestors, a wide range of sport and cultural activities such as Quan Ho (love duet) singing, water puppetry performance, card game, chess, wrestling, swinging and earthenware pot smashing, will be held at the three-day festival.
(Source:VGP)
