All 1,417 relic sites of worshipping Hung Kings and honouring their period nationwide will offer incense at the same time to commemorate the country’s founders on the 10 th day of the third lunar month (April 19).

There are 525 sites in Hanoi, 326 in Phu Tho province, 168 in Bac Ninh province, 143 in Ha Nam province and others in different provinces.

The death anniversary of Hung Kings and the Hung Kings Temple Festival 2013 will feature a wide range of activities, especially the offering of eight provinces representing three regions in the country to the ancestors.

The opening ceremony will take place at Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho province on April 13 (or the fourth day of the third lunar month), coinciding with a ceremony to receive a certificate recognising “the Worship of Hung Kings in Phu Tho” as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

During the week-long event, there will be a street festival on main roads in Viet Tri city and Hung Kings Square, photo exhibitions on the worship of Hung Kings and the culture of the ancestral land, a Chung and Giay (Square and Round) cake making competition and a Xoan singing programme.

Vietnamese legends recount the rule of the 18 Hung King dynasties during the first period of Vietnamese history, between 2879-258 BC. The worshipping rituals are closely related to the worship of ancestors that is a tradition of most Vietnamese families and an important part of the people's spiritual lives.-VNA