This year, Hanoi and Thai Binh, Ben Tre, Binh Phuoc and Phu Tho provinces together hold a solemn and fulfilling festive season.18 pieces of Banh Day offering 18 Hung Kings
For almost 10 years, artisans in Tan Cot commune contributed to the preparation of offerings to the Hung King on the anniversary. This year, 3 months before the event, seventeen artisans have picked up rice, green beans and prepared leaves. According to artisan Vu Ba Chung, the standard of Banh Chung offered to Hung King must always be glutinous rice type 1 (Nếp cái hoa vàng), green beans with delicious seeds, moderate cooking fire to ensure that boiling water is just right for Banh Chung to be sticky. Each artisan in Tan Uoc commune has his/her own Banh Chung wrapping technique to ensure that after 10 hours of cooking, it still keeps its square shape.
This year, Banh Chung artisans of Tan Uoc commune were assigned to prepare 18 pieces of Banh Day to offer 18 Hung Kings on the top of Nghia Linh mountain. In addition, they also joined the celebration in the "Contest for wrapping, cooking Banh Chung and making Banh Day in Phu Tho province in 2017". Following the success of 2016 event, Hanoi artisans once again won the first prize for making Banh Day, and Banh Chung made by Tan Uoc people was also highly appreciated by the jury. Nguyen Duc Toan - Secretary of the Party Committee of Tan Cot commune said: "With many young artisans who are willing to inherit their father's craft, we are confident that many years later we will be able to contribute to represent Hanoi to offer Hung King the most beautiful and delicious Banh Chung and Banh Day."
Thang Long drums together
From the opening day of Hung Temple Festival (1/4), Thang Long Music and Dance Theater has held the center stage of the Festival to offer performances of Thang Long festival drumbeat. Along with dam duong, singing Xoan which are special characteristics of Phu Tho, the buzzing sound of the festival drumbeat has signaled the start of the happy season. "Nearly 100 artists of the Theater have dedicated themselves to prepare for the program. We send to the ancestral land the most special pieces, bringing the sweetest taste of Hanoi to serve visitors and relatives participating in the festival," meritorious artist Tan Minh, Director of Thang Long Music and Dance shared his thought. After the opening program, the artists and performers of Thang Long Music and Dance Theater performed at Van Lang Park Lake stage. On the program, the artists and performers of the delegation brought nearly 20 special music and dance shows, which elaborately praised the home, the country, people of Vietnam and showed gratitude to ancestors. With such pieces as “Mai dinh lang bien”, “Cong duc Vua Hung”, “Huong send at Viet”, “Hoi den”, “Nhung trai tim Viet Nam”, the program left deep impression in the hearts of people and visitors.
Each art piece, each program and each product of Hanoi sent to Phu Tho in the Hung King's Anniversary - Hung Temple Festival 2017 embraces the feeling of more than 8 million hearts of the capital’s people towards Hung King. Certainly when the season ends, the festival drumbeat of Thang Long will resound in the hearts of the pilgrims.
