Hùng Kings' Festival
The Hùng Kings' Temple Festival (Vietnamese: Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương or lễ hội đền Hùng) is a Vietnamese festival held annually from the 8th to the 11th day of the third lunar month in honour of the Hùng Vương or Hùng Kings. The main festival day, which is a public holiday in Vietnam since 2007, is on the 10th day.[1][2][3][4][5]
Hung Vuong Commemoration Day | |
---|---|
Official name | Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương |
Observed by | Vietnamese |
Type | Cultural |
Significance | Anniversary of Hung Vuong |
Observances | worship of Hùng Vương |
Date | 10th day of 3rd lunar month |
Frequency | annual |
Although the official name is the Death Anniversary of the Hung Kings (Vietnamese: Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương), the festival does not mark any specific date of death for any Hung King.[6]
Festival
The purpose of this ceremony is to remember and pay tribute to the Hung Kings who are the traditional founders and first kings of the nation. The festival began as a local holiday, but has become recognized as a national holiday starting in 2007.[7] In 2016, the total number of visitors to the festival numbered seven million.[8]
The major ceremony
The ceremony takes place over several days, but the 10th day of the month is considered the most important. A procession starts at the foot of the mountain, and stops at every small temple before reaching the High Temple. Here, pilgrims offer prayers and incense to their ancestors.[7]
See also
References
- "Vietnamese nationals return for Hung Kings' death anniversary". VOV. Archived from the original on 2009-04-07. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- "One day off to celebrate Vietnamese founders". Ho Chi Minh City's government. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- "NA meets on threshold of legislative elections". VietNamNet. Archived from the original on 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- "Hung Kings' Temple Festival - A Pilgrimage To The Sacred Land of Vietnam's Ancestry". Embassy of Vietnam in USA. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- "NA meets on threshold of legislative elections". National Assembly of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- "Hung King Temple Festival". vietnam-beauty. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- "Party Chief pays tribute to Hung Kings". Vietnews. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- "Seven million visitors expected to attend Hung Kings festival in northern Vietnam". Retrieved 16 April 2016.