ACTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE HUNG KING'S DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Hung Temple Festival, also known as Hung King's death anniversary (10^th March of the lunar calendar every year), is a great festival to commemorate and express gratitude to the founding merits of the Hung Kings, the first kings of the Vietnamese people.

The sentimental folk song has entered the hearts of every Vietnamese from generation to generation.

“Dù ai đi ngược về xuôi

Nhớ ngày Giỗ Tổ mồng mười tháng ba

Khắp miền truyền mãi câu ca

Nước non vẫn nước non nhà ngàn năm”

It means that: Every Vietnamese, whether living in the country or abroad, in the upland or the lowland, always remembers 10^th March of the lunar calendar every year – the Ancestor's Anniversary to repay the gratitude of their ancestors, to commemorate the merits of the Hung Kings who have built the country.

For thousands of years, Hung Temple - the place of origin of the nation, of the country has always been a symbol of respect and sacredness gathering and sticking with the Vietnamese people.

According to legend, Lac Long Quan and Au Co are considered the Vietnamese ancestors, the parents of the Hung Kings. Hung Temple Festival and Hung King's death anniversary take place on 10^th March of the lunar calender every year at Hung Temple, Viet Tri, Phu Tho. The previous week, the festival took place with many folklore activities and ended on 10^th March of the lunar calender with a procession and incense offering at Thuong Temple.

Since ancient times, Hung King's death anniversary has a special position in the minds of Vietnamese people. The Texts about the Hung Kings was written in the Tran Dynasty, in 1470 under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong and in the reign of King Le Kinh Tong in 1601, copied and sealed with an alkaline seal and placed at Hung Temple, said: "...From the Trieu, Dinh, Le, Ly, Tran dynasties to our reign now is Hong Duc Hau Le still burn incense in the temple in Trung Nghia village. The land taxed from the past to be used for sacrifices remains unchanged...”.

Thus, it can be understood that from the Later Le period and before, all dynasties managed Hung Temple in a way that directly assigned the local people to look after, repair, worship, and celebrate the death anniversary of the ancestors on 10^th March of the lunar calender. In return, they are exempted from paying tax on 500 acres of fields, exempt from paying fees, levies, and exempt from military service.

During the Nguyen Dynasty in the 2^nd year of Khai Dinh (1917), chief of Phu Tho province namely Le Trung Ngoc submitted to Ministry of Ceremonies to designate the 10^th day of March of the lunar calender as the International Day (National Holiday, National Anniversary). This is confirmed by the stele Hung Vuong from the reference by Tham Tri Bui Ngoc Hoan, chief of Phu Tho province, established in the 15^th year of Bao Dai (1940) and was also located in Thuong Temple on Hung mountain, confirming: “In the past, the international day is taken in Autumn as a regular. In the 2^nd year of Khai Dinh (the solar calendar was 1917), chief of Phu Tho province namely Le Trung Ngoc sent an official letter to request to Ministry of Ceremonies to fix the tenth day of March every year as the International Day, that is, one day before the death anniversary of the 18^th Hung King ancestor. The death anniversary (11^th March) was celebrated by local people”. From now on, the Hung King's death anniversary on 10^th March of the lunar calender is officially legalized.

After the August Revolution (1945), our Party and State paid great attention to Hung temple. President Ho Chi Minh, leaders of the Party and State have all visited here. Continuing the noble tradition of our forefathers, especially the principle of "drinking water, think of its source", right after the success of the August Revolution, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 22/SL-CTN on 18th February 1946 to permit civil servants taking 10th March of the lunar calender off every year to participate in the organization of activities on the Hung Kings Anniversary - towards the origin of the nation.

On the Hung Vuong's death anniversary in the year of the Bing Dog (1946) - the first year of the establishment of the new Government, Mr. Huynh Thuc Khang - Acting President presented a map of the Vietnamese Fatherland and a precious sword to advertise with the ancestors about the invaded country and pray for the ancestors to make the state prosperous and people peaceful and the world was at peace and unite together to defeat the invaders and protect the territorial integrity of the country.

President Ho Chi Minh also twice visited Hung Temple (19 September 1954 and 19 August 1962). Here, he had an immortal saying: "The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country - I and all descendants must protect the country together". He also reminded: "We must pay attention to protect, plant more flowers and trees so that Hung temple becomes more and more dignified and beautiful, becoming a historical park for future generations to visit”.

In 1995, Hung Vuong's death anniversary was recorded in the announcement by the Secretariat as a major holiday of the year. Culture, Information and Sports Sector in collaboration with functional sectors organized the festival for 10 days (from 01^st March to 10^th March of the lunar calendar).

In Decree No. 82/2001/ND-CP dated November 6, 2001 on State rituals, in which there are specific provisions on the scale of Hung King's death anniversary organization, specifically as follows:

- “Even years” is the number of anniversary years with the last digit “0”;  Ministry of Culture and Information and People's Committee of Phu Tho province organize the festival; invites representatives of leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government, Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations to attend the incense offering ceremony.

- “Round year” is the number of anniversary years with the last digit “5”; People's Committee of Phu Tho province organizes the festival; invites representatives of leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government, Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations to attend the incense offering ceremony.

- “Odd years” is the number of anniversary years with the last digits remaining. People's Committee of Phu Tho province organizes the festival; invites leaders of Ministry of Culture and Information to attend the incense offering ceremony and organize activities during the festival.

On 02^nd April 2007, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam approved the amendment and supplement to Article 73 of the Labor Law for employees to take leave from work and enjoy full salary on the anniversary of Hung King's death anniversary on 10^th March of the lunar calendar). Since then, 10^th March of the lunar calendar every year has become a big holiday - a national holiday with the meaning of national cultural identity.

The Hung Kings' death anniversary every year is a common festival of the whole people, the day when all hearts, even though they are living and working everywhere, still beat at the same breathing rate, all eyes looking in the same direction. On this day, the people of the country also have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities to show their gratitude to the Hung Kings who have built the country and the predecessors who have defended the country for the people.

In the dossier submitted to UNESCO for recognition of "Belief in worshiping Hung Kings" as a world cultural heritage, it was stated that the value of the heritage is to show respect to ancestors, in the spirit of "drinking water, think of its source" of the Vietnamese people. According to the assessment of UNESCO experts, "Belief in worshiping Hung Kings" has met the most important of the five criteria, that is, a heritage of outstanding global value, encouraging the awareness of common to all peoples in promoting that value. Therefore, on 06^th December 2012, UNESCO officially recognized the "Belief in worshiping Hung Kings in Phu Tho" as the symbol of the great solidarity, the moral tradition of "drinking water, think of its source" of the Vietnamese people is the representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Anniversary of Hung Kings - Hung Temple Festival is also an opportunity to educate the tradition of "drinking water, think of its source", deep gratitude to the Hung Kings who built the country and the forefathers who were resilient against foreign invaders and defended the country; At the same time, it is also an important occasion for us to promote to the world an extremely valuable and unique heritage, which has existed for thousands of years, deeply ingrained in the soul and emotions, becoming the traditional moral of our compatriots nationwide and overseas Vietnamese, is a day for the entire Party, army, and people of our country to vow with one heart forever to inscribe President Ho Chi Minh's advice: "The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country - I and all descendants must protect the country together”.