The annual Hung Kings' Temple Festival is taking place in the historical relic site of the Hung Kings’ Temple in Phu Tho Province’s Viet Tri City between 5 and 9 April.  These are the 6^th to the 10^th days of the 3^rd lunar month.  This year’s event is being co-organised by the People’s Committees of Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Quang Binh, Vinh Long and Long An provinces.

The first stage of the festival was held on 5 April on the Sim Hill and Van Mountain of the temple to express the respect and gratitude of “dragon and fairy descendants” of the ancestors.  Offerings consisted of many things such as 100 “banh chung” (square glutinous rice cakes) and “banh day” (round glutinous rice cakes), a lavish five-fruits feast, betel quids and areca nuts.

The palanquin procession ceremony

In addition, domestic and foreign visitors have the opportunity to enjoy folk games and traditional competitions such as cooking and wrapping “banh chung”, crushing “banh day”, beating drums, and Senh Tien, Moi and drum dances.  Furthermore, they can participate in the 9^th National Poetry Festival Day in Viet Tri City, and enjoy the xoan singing performance at the Hung Vuong Museum.  Exhibitions on Viet Nam's sovereignty over its sea and islands and studying and following Ho Chi Minh's moral example are also underway in the city.

Many Vietnamese people gather at the Hung Kings’ Temple

In Da Nang, a solemn ceremony to offer incense for the Hung Kings has been held at the Hai Chau, Trung Nghia, Hoa An and Da Son village communal houses. 

The city’s travel agents are seeing an up to 25% increase in the number of visitors coming to Da Nang from the northern and southern regions as compared with previous months.  The reason is due to the city’s attractive promotion programmes in its summer tourism season.  However, there will likely only be a slight increase in tourist arrivals on the death anniversary of the Hung Kings on Wednesday 9 April because employees nationwide have only one day off work.  Most of the visitors will choose short day tours.

In attempting to meet the travel demands of local people, the city’s travel companies are offering 1-day tours with many preferential promotion programmes, including Da Nang-Hoi An-My Son, Da Nang-Hue, Ba Na Hills Resort, and Son Tra Peninsula tours.  In addition, there is a significant increase in the number of bookings for “Back to the Roots” tours.