Located on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phu Tho Province, l85km northwest of Ha Noi, is the temple of the Hung kings.  Every year, the Hung Kings’ Temple Festival is held there to worship the Hung kings, who were instrumental in the founding of the nation.

The Festival lasts from the 9^th to the 13^th day of the 3^rd lunar month, with the 10^th being the main day.  The Festival offers an opportunity for Vietnamese to visit their land of origin and involves, among other things, a procession of such traditional cakes as ‘banh chung’ (sticky rice cake) and ‘banh day’ (round glutinous rice cakes), and other cultural activities.

In front of the Hung Kings’ Temple, there is a 1,000-year-old tree.  It is in this temple that President Ho Chi Minh spoke with soldiers on their way to Ha Noi in 1954.  He said “The Hung kings had the merit of founding the country, we must unite to safeguard it”.  On visiting the temple, visitors reflect on the origins of the country and take pride in the races of fairies and dragons flowing in the blood of each Vietnamese person.

The 10^th day of the 3^rd lunar month is dedicated to commemorating the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Vietnamese nation, the first Hung king. 

The Hung kings ruled the country from 2879 to 258 BC, over 2,000 years.  According to historical records, the regime of the Hung kings was an impressive, brilliant and outstanding start to the establishment of Viet Nam as a sovereign nation.  The 18 generations of Hung kings saw the birth and development of a nation and they are credited with forging national characteristics such as the sense of community, mutual affection, patriotism and unwillingness to yield to oppression.

Hung Kings’ Day this year falls on Saturday 16 April, and this is the first day of a  3-day national public holiday.

(Source: http://www.amchamvietnam.com)