On the occasion of the annual death anniversary of Hung Kings, the villages which worship the Hung Kings along the Relic Site organize the palanquin procession to the Hung Kings Temple, creating the respectful and sacred air of the festival. This is one of the traditional rituals which has been maintained and preserved for thousands of years now. It has the significance of having cultural exchange and community connectivity, maintained by the local people.
Eight people carrying the palanquin are walking to and fro
Their hands taking red kerchief, they parade in the hope of seeing the King
This ancient Xoan verse was heard reverberating amid the sacred place. It describes the remarkable traditional culture in existence for thousands of years in the Ancestor’s Land. Long, long ago, 41 villages worshipped the wives and children and generals of the Hung Kings and when Lunar March 10 came, these villages organised a palanquin procession to the Hung Kings Temple to present offerings to the ancestors. It is the same every year, in the Hung Kings Temple Festival, the palanquin procession competition was organised, making the atmosphere animated. If a village wins the competition this year, it will represent the other villages to parade the palanquin to the Temple next year. It is, therefore, an honour and pride for the village that wins the first prize. This folk cultural activity has become indispensable in the community of villages and communes around the Hung Temple.
For many years now, Phu Tho Province has expanded the scope of the palanquin procession in the villages and communes around the relic site on the occasion of the death anniversary of the Hung Kings. This activity is not only a fine traditional culture on the land of the ancestors, but also a profoundly significant event to honour the value of “the Worshipping belief of Hung Kings in Phu Tho”, making a contribution to raising the tradition of “Drinking water, remember its source” and the respect towards the ancestors of the Vietnamese nation. And more important is that it promotes the role of the community in preserving the value of belief.
The palanquin procession usually happens in the early morning to start a new day. The process teams of Hy Cuong, Chu Hoa, Hung Lo, Kim Duc communes, Van Phu Ward (Viet Tri City), Tien Kien commune, Hung on Township Lam Thao District) carry the palanquins from the communal houses and converge at the foot of Nghia Linh Mountain. All the palanquins are painted in red lacquer trimmed with gold. The palanquin paraders are strong young people of the villages. There are the lion dance teams joining the procession. Besides, there are jokers having fun along the procession.
There are also girls carrying baskets of flowers and trays of offering in their heads. These offerings are presented to Hung Kings to express gratitude and respect, wishing for peace, favourable weather conditions and bumper crops for all the people. Among the procession participants are also the old people and villagers in the best. Pilgrims from every corner of the country are also found present at the procession.
Mr Pham Ba Khiem, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho Province, said that the participation of the old people and people of all strata reflects the respect of the people towards the Hung Temple and these people are also preserving the unique folk culture. This is the traditional ritual created and maintained by the community for thousands of years. This is also the typical cultural identity indispensable in the Death Anniversary of Hung Kings-Hung Temple Festival.
So, it can be seen that every activity during the worshipping ceremony of Hung Kings is jointly held by all the people, reflecting the community nature in belief. This is also the outstanding point of the cultural heritage that needs preservation and passing down to the next generation. And this is also the goal of Phu Tho Province in preserving the heritage after being honoured.
Phuong Ngan
Vietnamese
