Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese communities in the Czech Republic and France gathered this week to celebrate the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, reaffirming their attachment to the nation’s roots and preserving cultural identity among Vietnamese abroad.
Held in Prague and Paris on April 25, the ceremonies reflected the enduring significance of the Hung Kings worship tradition as a symbol of national solidarity and the Vietnamese ethos of remembering one’s origins. For overseas Vietnamese, the annual observance has also become a spiritual anchor connecting communities abroad with the homeland.
In Prague, the ceremony was co-organised for the first time by the Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc fellow-countrymen associations under the patronage of the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese associations in the Czech Republic and Europe.
The event, which took place at the Sapa trade centre, opened with a traditional procession of the Hung Kings’ palanquin, accompanied by festival flags and drums, recreating a sacred atmosphere far from home. Young OVs in traditional costumes joined the procession, highlighting efforts to pass on cultural heritage to younger generations.
Offerings of incense, flowers, banh chung and banh day — symbols linked to the legend of Lang Lieu — were made in tribute to the Hung Kings, legendary founders of the nation.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Duong Hoai Nam said the ceremony demonstrated the community’s strong commitment to preserving national traditions. He also praised the participation of artists and cultural figures from Vietnam in enriching the event.
Traditional performances, including hat xoan and other folk genres associated with the ancestral land of Phu Tho, added a distinctly cultural dimension, turning the commemoration into both a spiritual and educational event for young people.
Meanwhile in Paris, the Vietnamese Culture Centre in France, in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy and community organisations, held its second large-scale Hung Kings commemoration, drawing diplomats, OVs and French friends.
The event combined rituals and cultural performances in four parts, opening with a lion dance performance and demonstrations of Vietnamese martial arts before a ceremonial procession featuring national flags, lotus flowers and traditional offerings. Incense offerings at the ancestral altar formed the centrepiece of the observance.
Organisers said the event was designed not only to honor the nation’s founders but also to strengthen community bonds and introduce Vietnamese heritage to international friends.
Participants highlighted the event’s special role in helping second- and third-generation Vietnamese born abroad better understand their origins. Community representatives said cultural activities such as the Hung Kings commemoration, music and traditional arts help keep Vietnamese identity alive across generations.
Many attendees described the Paris event as both a spiritual gathering and a cultural meeting point for the diaspora. French guests also expressed admiration for the Vietnamese community’s efforts to preserve and promote long-standing traditions.
They noted that preserving and promoting tradition is a distinctive strength of the Vietnamese community, while such values have been gradually fading in many European countries.
Recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the practice of worshipping the Hung Kings continues to serve not only as a sacred national ritual but also as a bridge linking OVs to their homeland and to one another./.
