State President Luong Cuong begins Hung Kings’ Commemoration Festival

THE HANOI TIMES — State President Luong Cuong on April 7 offered incense in remembrance of the Hung Kings at Kinh Thien Palace on top of Nghia Linh Mountain, part of the Hung Kings Temple Historical Site in Viet Tri City, the northern province of Phu Tho.

The incense-offering procession began early in the morning. The ceremonial groups, palanquin bearers, and offerings moved from the main festival courtyard through Nghi Mon Gate, then passed Ha Temple and Trung Temple before reaching Thuong Temple at the summit.

Leading the procession were honor guards carrying the national flag, the Hung Kings Temple festival flag, and a wreath inscribed with the words: “Forever grateful to the Hung Kings for founding the nation”.

Behind them were 18 young women in traditional red ao dai, bringing flowers and offerings, followed by 100 young men in ancient-style costumes representing the 100 sons in the legend of Lac Long Quan and Au Co.

They carried colorful festival flags, symbolizing the spirit of the descendants of the Hung Kings.

Following the main group were ceremonial musicians, palanquin bearers, offering teams, and thousands of Vietnamese citizens and overseas Vietnamese who came to honor the ancestral founders of the nation.

At Kinh Thien Palace, in the sacred atmosphere of the mountains and rivers, State President Luong Cuong and leaders of the Party, the State, and Phu Tho Province solemnly offered incense, flowers, and offerings to express their deep gratitude to the Hung Kings.

They prayed for peace, prosperity, and strength for the nation and its people.

On behalf of millions of Vietnamese people, Bui Van Quang, Chairman of the Phu Tho Province People’s Committee, read the ceremonial tribute to honor the great legacy of the Hung Kings and the heroic spirit of ancestors who defended the country with their blood and sacrifice.

In the tribute, Quang praised the efforts of the military and people in protecting national independence and freedom throughout history, and acknowledged the achievements of the Party, people, and military over the past year in the country’s development.

The provincial leader recalled the long history of resilience, unity, and patriotism, through which the Vietnamese people overcame countless hardships, built independence, and safeguarded national sovereignty in the past 95 years under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

“Thanks to the firm leadership of the Party and State, the unity of the political system, the people, and support from international friends, Vietnam has overcome external challenges, dealt effectively with natural disasters, and achieved many important development goals,” Quang said.

An economy that has recovered and expanded rapidly, guaranteed social welfare, improved living standards for people, groundbreaking moves in science and technology development, rising status in international relations, and streamlined administrative and political systems are among the remarkable achievements, the chairman said.

“In this sacred moment, before the ancestral spirits, the entire Vietnamese people pledge to carry on the traditions of their legendary ancestors,” Quang said.

“With unity, independence, confidence, and pride, we’ll strive to build a peaceful, strong, democratic, and prosperous Vietnam, standing proudly among the nations of the world.”

After the incense-offering ceremony at Thuong Temple, President Luong Cuong and other high-ranking leaders laid a wreath and offered incense at the Tomb of the Hung Kings.

They then visited the site of the relief sculpture “President Ho Chi Minh Talks to Officers and Soldiers of the Pioneer Army” near the Gieng Temple. The wreath placed there carried the message: “Forever remember and follow Uncle Ho’s teachings”.

After the official rituals concluded, citizens and pilgrims began to enter the temples to offer incense and pay their respects to the Hung Kings and the ancestors who founded the Vietnamese nation.