Vietnam celebrates the Hùng Kings

Now through the end of April

The Hung kings ruled the country from 2879 to 258 BC, over 2,000 years

The Festival lasts from the 9th to 13th day of the Third Lunar Month, with the 10th day being the main day. The festival offers an opportunity for the Vietnamese to visit their land of origin, and involves, among other things, a procession of traditional cakes (“Bánh trưng” – a four-cornered rice cake, “Bánh dày” – a rice pie), “Xoan” folk song contest and bronze drum performances.

The 10th day of the third lunar month is dedicated to commemorating the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Vietnamese nation—the first Hung King. The Hung kings ruled the country from 2879 to 258 BC, over 2,000 years. According to historical records, the regime of the Hung Kings was an impressive, brilliant and outstanding start for establishing Vietnam as a sovereign nation. The 18 generations of the Hung Kings saw the birth and development of a nation and are credited with forging national characteristics such as the sense of community, mutual affection, patriotism and unwillingness to yield to oppression. From this original settlement, the Hong (Red) River civilization and the pre-Dong Son cultures grew.

A national-level commemoration of the first rulers of Vietnam – the Hung kings – will be organized for ten days this month in the northern province of Phú Thọ and two days in other provinces and cities throughout the country.

An estimated 500,000 people will visit the temple site per day during the festival. The same event last year attracted 4 million people in total.

Further information can be found here.