Phu Tho (VNA)🐎 – An incense offering ceremony was held at Kinh Thien Palace on Nghia Linh Mountain within the Hung Kings Temple Relic Site in the northern midland province of Phu Tho on April 7 – the 10th day of the third lunar month - to commemorate the death anniversary of the nation’s legendary founders, the Hung Kings.

State President Luong Cuong, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien, Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh attended the ceremony, among others. Thousands of people at home and abroad were also present to offer incense in memory of the Hung Kings.

From early morning, delegates gathered in front of the ceremony yard at the Hung Temple Festival Centre. Amidst the majestic festival music, the incense offering team with national and ceremonial flags, and offerings departed from the festival centre yard through the ceremonial gate, Ha Temple, Trung Temple to Thuong Temple.

Leading the procession were soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army carrying the national flag, festival flags and wreaths bearing the words "Forever grateful to the Hung Kings for their contributions to building the country". Following them were young women in red ‘ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional long dress) carrying incense, flowers, and offerings, and 100 descendants of Lac Hong in ancient costumes, holding high festival flags, demonstrating the strong vitality of the Dragon Fairy lineage, along with the procession offering incense, flowers, Chung cakes, and Day cakes associated with the legend of Prince Lang Lieu. Next came the delegation of leaders of the Party, the State, central agencies, and localities; leaders of Phu Tho province, departments, branches, organisations, districts, cities, towns, and people attending the incense offering ceremony.

At the Kinh Thien Palace, on the sacred Nghia Linh mountain, with a sincere heart to pay tribute to the ancestors, demonstrating the Vietnamese people's morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", President Luong Cuong and other Party, State and local leaders entered the Upper Palace to respectfully offer incense, flowers and offerings in memory and gratitude to the Hung Kings who built the country, and the ancestors who protected the country so that their descendants could continue the tradition of building a rich and civilized Vietnam like today.

On behalf of the people of the whole country, before the souls of the Hung Kings, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tho province Bui Van Quang, Head of the Hung Kings' Commemoration Ceremony this year, read the congratulatory message affirming the great significance of the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day; praising the great merit of the Hung Kings, the spirit of uprising and resilience of the predecessors who did not spare their blood and bones to repel foreign invaders, protect the country and the heroic spirit of the entire army and people in the resistance wars for independence and freedom of the Fatherland. At the same time, he respectfully reported to the souls of the predecessors about the great achievements that the entire Party, people and army have achieved in the past year on the path of national development.

Then, President Luong Cuong and other Party and State leaders laid wreaths and burned incense at the Hung Kings' Tomb; offered flowers at the relief of Uncle Ho talking to officers and soldiers of the Vanguard Army Corps at the Den Gieng (Well Temple) intersection.

The Hung Kings’ Commemoration and the Cultural and Tourism Week of the Ancestral Land 2025 will take place from March 29 to April 7 (the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month), featuring around 30 activities at the Hung Kings Temple Complex.

Currently, Phu Tho province is home to 345 places of worship dedicated to the Hung Kings. The Hung Kings Temple Historical Complex, covering over 800 hectares, has been developed into the nation’s largest spiritual-cultural park. It serves as the central hub for worship of the Hung Kings with solemn and respectful ceremonies./.