The anniversary of the death of the Hung Kings, which falls on April 4, will be commemorated with ceremonies in more than 1,400 places of worship nationwide.

According to Nguyen Tien Khoi, Director of the Hung Temple Management Board, ceremonial dresses and music used during the festival will be approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and will be used in all localities.

He added that the localities will prepare 18 square cakes with red bamboo strings and 18 round rice cakes, together with joss-sticks and flowers, betel and areca to worship the Hung Kings.

Activities will be held in accordance with each locality’s conditions, he added.

As well as art troupes from Hanoi, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Danang, Vinh Phuc, and HCMC, this year’s Hung Temple Festival will also draw the participation of artists from the Republic of Korea.

Notably, a firework show will be held at the Hung Temple Relics on April 3.

According to Khoi, all preparations for the national festival are underway. The centre has been expanded to accommodate 10,000 attendees, the Upper Temple has been upgraded for the event, and the Lac Long Quan Temple on Sim Hill has been inaugurated.

The Hung Temple Festival has been held annually since 1460 under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong to commemorate 18 Hung Kings who were the founders of the country and started a golden age in Vietnamese history.

Since, the Hung Temple Festival has become a rendezvous of national unity and spirit, and is a chance for Vietnamese living in and outside the country to express their gratitude to ancestors.

The anniversary of the Hung King’ death was officially recognised as a national holiday in 2000, and in 2007 the National Assembly approved a regulation permitting the country’s workers to have the day off with pay.

The Hung Temple is located on Nghia Linh Mountain, Phong Chau District, in Phu Tho Province, 100km northwest of Hanoi. It is a complex of ancient tombs, monuments and temples.

Notably, the Lower Temple, a popular tourist destination, was according to legend the location where Au Co gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs from which 100 babies were born. The eldest son, Hung Vuong, named himself king and the throne was passed through 18 generations from 2879 to 253 BC. (Source: VNA)