Hung Kings’ worship seeks UNESCO title

Vietnam has submitted documents on the worship rituals dedicated to Hung Kings in the midland province of Phu Tho to the UNESCO to seek its Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity recognition.

The worship rituals dedicated to Hung Kings, the nation’s legendary founders, have existed through thousands of years, deeply taking root in the Vietnamese people’s mind and t he annual festival to commemorate the Hung Kings, which falls on the 10 th day of the third lunar month, was recognised as a national event in 2007.

Nguyen Tien Khoi, Director of the Hung Kings’ Temple Relic Complex said that “Hung Kings worship rituals” is part of the Vietnamese people’s culture of worshiping ancestors. Throughout history, Hung Kings’ worship rituals have always been the source of the national culture’s internal power, contributing to fostering national pride, solidarity and patriotism of the Vietnamese people.

The Hung Kings worship rituals represent not only the belief in the protecting saints in the spiritual cultural life of the Vietnamese people but also the nation’s ethic of gratitude to the predecessors, Khoi said.

He noted that there are over 1,400 places of worship dedicated to the Hung Kings across the country and numerous festivals are held every year, every where to commemorate the nation’s founders. The festival at the Hung Kings’ Temple in Phu Tho province is the main and official event dedicated to the Kings.

This year’s festival will be held from April 7-12 with a wide range of cultural activities, taking place in Viet Tri city to the Hung Kings’ Temple and surrounding areas.

The festival will draw participation of several provinces nationwide, including Tuyen Quang, Hoa Binh , Nam Dinh, Quang Ngai and Dong Thap province, which represent the three regions of the country.

Some 5-6 million visitors will make the pilgrimage to Phu Tho to offer their respect. – VIR

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