Phu Tho (VNA) – Ceremonies honouring Vietnam’s legendary ancestors, Father Lac Long Quan and Mother Au Co, took place on April 3 at their respective temples within the Hung Kings Temple Relic Site in the northern midland province of Phu Tho.
Local leaders and citizens offered incense, flowers, and tributes to express their gratitude to Father Lac Long Quan and Mother Au Co for laying the foundations of the nation. They also prayed for national prosperity, peace, and unity.
On the same day, a delegation of nearly 50 overseas Vietnamese from 20 countries and territories arrived in Phu Tho as part of a programme organised by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They took part in incense-offering ceremonies at the temples of Father Lac Long Quan and the Hung Kings.
According to legend, Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co, the fairy daughter of De Lai. Au Co later gave birth to a pouch containing one hundred eggs, which hatched into a hundred sons - believed to be the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. However, Lac Long Quan and Au Co eventually parted ways. Lac Long Quan took 50 of their children to the coast, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest.
Their eldest son was crowned king, naming the country Van Lang and establishing the capital in Phong Chau—modern-day Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province—marking the beginning of the 18 dynasties of the Hung Kings.
The commemoration is held annually on the sixth day of the third lunar month as part of the Hung Kings’ Death Anniversary on the 10th day of the third lunar month, a national holiday.
This year, the Hung Kings’ Commemoration and Ancestral Land Culture - Tourism Week 2025 run from March 29 to April 7.
The programme features numerous cultural, sports, and tourism events aimed at fostering national pride and strengthening the bond between Vietnamese people at home and abroad./.
