Phu Tho (VNA) – A ceremony to open the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the 2026 Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week was held on late April 17 in the northern province of Phu Tho, home to the Hung Kings Temple historic site – a place of worship dedicated to the legendary ancestors of the nation.
Featuring a large number of artists, artisans, professional performers, and local participants, the opening ceremony helped to showcase the cultural values of the ancestral land while popularising the image of Phu Tho among both domestic and international visitors.
Speaking at the event, Nguyen Huy Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, described the annual festival as a major national cultural event, offering an opportunity for people across Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese communities to pay tribute to their ancestors, express gratitude, and strengthen the great national solidarity.
He noted that this year’s edition features notable innovations in both scale and content. A wide range of cultural, artistic, sporting, and tourism activities are being held, with participation from localities across the province, creating diverse experiences for residents and visitors alike. Notably, the revival of the traditional street folk culture festival has contributed to honouring long-standing cultural values.
The provincial official stated that through these activities, Phu Tho continues to affirm its status as the sacred ancestral land of the Vietnamese people, enhance its appeal as a tourist destination, and contribute to local socio-economic development.
Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, a son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co then went on to give birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which hatched into a hundred sons. However, soon thereafter, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest.
Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri ward in Phu Tho), beginning the 18 reigns of the Hung Kings. The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops.
To honour their great contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the 10th day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.
The worship of the Hung Kings, closely related to the ancestral worship traditions of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012./.
