The northern midland province of Phu Tho is working hard to preserve andspread the values of the worship rite of the country’s legendaryfounders Hung Kings. The rite was recognised as an Intangible CulturalHeritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in 2012.
Legend has itthat Lac Long Quan, son of King Duong Vuong married to Au Co, daughterof King De Lai. Au Co then gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs fromwhich 100 children were born. The couple then decided to separate inorder to populate the land and propagate the race, so half the childrenfollowed their mother to the highlands and the remaining half went withtheir father to the sea.
The first child went withmother Au Co to Phong Chau, now Phu Tho province. He then became KingHung and founded the first nation in the history of Vietnam, called VanLang.
Ruling the country through 18 dynasties, HungKings taught people how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linhmountain, the highest in the region, to exercise rituals devoted to riceand sun deities to pray for lush crops.
To honourHung Kings’ great services, a complex of temples dedicated to the Kingswas built on Nghia Linh mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunarmonth is designated as the annual national commemorative anniversary.
The worshiping of Hung Kings, which is closely relatedto the worship of ancestors that is a tradition of most Vietnamesefamilies and forms an important part of the people's spiritual lives, ispractised nationwide, at 1,417 temples and places of worship across thecountry.
Home to the largest and oldest templededicated to Hung Kings, Phu Tho also has 325 other places incommemoration of the Kings and the figures living in the Hung Kingsreign.
In addition to upgrading local worship places, theprovince has invested heavily in facilities around Hung Kings templesuch as cultural and tourism villages and festival organising sites.
As part of efforts to comply with the 2003 Convention for theSafeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it has added courseson heritage and Hung Kings worship rituals into school curricula.
Spiritual tours of relics related to the Hung Kings period willbe on offer while managerial staff working at cultural heritage siteswill receive training and incentives as well.-VNA
Legend has itthat Lac Long Quan, son of King Duong Vuong married to Au Co, daughterof King De Lai. Au Co then gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs fromwhich 100 children were born. The couple then decided to separate inorder to populate the land and propagate the race, so half the childrenfollowed their mother to the highlands and the remaining half went withtheir father to the sea.
The first child went withmother Au Co to Phong Chau, now Phu Tho province. He then became KingHung and founded the first nation in the history of Vietnam, called VanLang.
Ruling the country through 18 dynasties, HungKings taught people how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linhmountain, the highest in the region, to exercise rituals devoted to riceand sun deities to pray for lush crops.
To honourHung Kings’ great services, a complex of temples dedicated to the Kingswas built on Nghia Linh mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunarmonth is designated as the annual national commemorative anniversary.
The worshiping of Hung Kings, which is closely relatedto the worship of ancestors that is a tradition of most Vietnamesefamilies and forms an important part of the people's spiritual lives, ispractised nationwide, at 1,417 temples and places of worship across thecountry.
Home to the largest and oldest templededicated to Hung Kings, Phu Tho also has 325 other places incommemoration of the Kings and the figures living in the Hung Kingsreign.
In addition to upgrading local worship places, theprovince has invested heavily in facilities around Hung Kings templesuch as cultural and tourism villages and festival organising sites.
As part of efforts to comply with the 2003 Convention for theSafeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it has added courseson heritage and Hung Kings worship rituals into school curricula.
Spiritual tours of relics related to the Hung Kings period willbe on offer while managerial staff working at cultural heritage siteswill receive training and incentives as well.-VNA
