Reporter (PV): Sir, why is the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day considered a unique cultural beauty of our nation? Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh: We should and need to call it the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day for more accuracy. Because according to linguists, Hung Kings is a Sino-Vietnamese concept, and Chinese characters were only adopted by our ancestors at the beginning of the Common Era (CE); while the worship of the country's ancestors was born at the latest in the 7th century BC. According to linguists, "Hung Kings" originates from the ancient Tay Thai language, meaning "Po khun", or "Father of a region". Returning to the story of the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. It can be said that this is a unique cultural feature, unique to the ethnic groups in Vietnam and to the Vietnamese nation-state. To understand this issue clearly, it is necessary to recall the origin of the worship of the Hung Kings.

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh.

Archaeological sources show that about 4,000 years ago, humans entered the Bronze Age, creating a labor productivity that was much higher than before. This revolutionary change in production and economy created a turning point in society: The matriarchal clan system weakened and was replaced by the patriarchal clan, the patriarchal family and monogamy replaced the matriarchal family, polyandry; men from low and dependent status rose to become the head of the family; the worship of patriarchal clan ancestors with clear, standard rituals, institutions, and procedures, performed by men, was born, replacing the worship of matriarchal clan ancestors. Vietnam is no exception to the above rule. According to archaeological documents, in the midlands, the Northern Delta and the North Central Coast today, about 3,500-4,000 years ago, the Lac Viet group (including ethnic groups of the ancient Viet-Muong, Tay Thai languages, and some ethnic groups of the Mon/Khmer languages) directly created continuous cultures, from Phung Nguyen (2,000-1,500 years BC), Dong Dau (1,500-1,000 years BC), Go Mun (1,000-700 years BC) and developed into the brilliant Dong Son culture (700 years BC to 100 AD), based on the economic foundation of wet rice cultivation combined with handicrafts, of which the most unique was bronze casting with the characteristic product of bronze drums. The great socio-economic changes created conditions for clans to unite into tribes, forming clans. Tribal leaders The tribes all expanded their influence to other regions. Finally, there was a leader who was more capable than all the other leaders and ascended the throne, called King Hung. This ascension to the throne was the result of the process of creating the above cultures, synonymous with the establishment of the first state: Van Lang State (around the 7th century BC), through many kings (King Hung). This was a primitive state. King Hung was considered the leader of a large region, undertaking the mission of managing the country. The concept of "King Hung" is an ancient Vietnamese concept, associated with the thoughts and feelings of generations of Vietnamese people since the beginning of the country's founding. Thus, the appearance of the custom of worshipping ancestors of the patriarchal family of the Vietnamese people and some ethnic groups in our country is associated with the worship of those who have contributed to opening the foundation and building the foundation of the nation-nation. This is the unique feature of the Hung Kings' death anniversary that no other country has. PV: Over time, how has the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day changed, sir? Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh: According to sources, in the past, our ancestors held the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day in the fall (in the eighth and ninth lunar months). Later (some documents recorded the Hong Duc reign of King Le Thanh Tong 1470-1497), the royal court chose March 11 and 12 as the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. In the second year of Khai Dinh (Dinh Ty, 1917), the Governor of Phu Tho province, Le Trung Ngoc, presented to the Ministry of Rites to set March 10 every year as the international day (national holiday, national commemoration day); and March 11 was celebrated by local people to commemorate the Hung Kings and remind all Vietnamese people to remember and worship their ancestors. This is recorded in the stele “Hung Vuong Tu Khao” by Tham Tri Bui Ngoc Hoan, the Governor of Phu Tho province, established in the 15th year of Bao Dai (1940), currently located at Thuong Temple on Hung Mountain. Thus, since 1917, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day on the 10th of March every year has been officially legalized. Also from the Later Le Dynasty onwards, the dynasties managed the Hung Temple by directly assigning the local people to take care of, repair, worship, and celebrate the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day on the 10th of March, exempting them from land tax, personal tax, military service, and miscellaneous corvée labor. In the second year of Gia Long (1803), the court stipulated that the Hung Kings' Temple in Hy Cuong commune (the current Hung Temple) had 52 laborers specializing in protecting, restoring the relics, organizing worship, and serving worship.

Procession and incense offering on Hung Kings' Commemoration Day 2023. Photo: NGUYEN ANH TUAN

Nowadays, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day has many changes compared to before, such as: The commemoration time is longer, lasting 10 days, from the 1st to the 10th so that local people (including overseas Vietnamese) have the opportunity to worship their ancestors and exchange culture; The Hung Kings' Commemoration Day has been upgraded to a "Festival" with different scales and forms of organization, with a decree specifying the scale of the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day organization in even, round, and odd years; The Hung Kings' Commemoration Day is now a national holiday, so since 2007, on March 10, workers have a day off with full pay (previously, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 22/SL-CTN dated February 18, 1946, allowing civil servants to take March 10 off every year to participate in organizing activities to commemorate the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, towards the nation's roots; however, this regulation was not maintained for objective reasons later). Because the festival is held for a long time, the festival space is expanded, the economic conditions of all classes of residents are improved, the transportation system and means of transport are increasingly modern; so today, each Hung Temple Festival has a large number of people from all over the country and abroad coming to worship their ancestors. The diverse cultural, sports, entertainment and recreation activities, and rich services also create a large source of revenue for the locality, contributing to economic development. PV: Currently, in addition to Phu Tho, many places across the country have Hung Kings Temples and organize Ancestor Commemorations there. Does that retain the same meaning as when we organize it at Hung Kings Temple, Phu Tho, sir? Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh: With the memory and gratitude for the great contributions of the Hung Kings, people in many localities across the country from North to South have built Hung Kings Temples and organized Ancestor Commemorations at these relics, also solemnly and respectfully. This comes from the custom of worshiping the ancestors of our people, and at the same time demonstrates the law of imprinting historical and cultural marks in the process of expanding the territory. This enriches the custom of worshiping the Hung Kings, but does not reduce the crowdedness and solemnity of the worship of the ancestors at Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho, because this place is the center of sacredness, the point of admiration of all classes of people across the country for the merits of the Hung Kings. PV: In recent years, the number of people coming to Hung Temple Festival has been too large, leading to jostling, pushing, and even unsafety... How can we preserve and promote the beauty of the nation's great holiday, both in its inherent meaning and in behavior and practice, sir? Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh: To limit these shortcomings, it is necessary to combine synchronous measures. First of all, it is necessary to divide the flow (time and number of visitors) to the main worship area, rearrange the points of sale, organize entertainment activities in a reasonable manner; the authorities must resolutely handle violations... And above all, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda work to raise awareness, mindset, and behavior of people coming to this sacred and meaningful festival as well as festival activities throughout the country. PV: Thank you very much!

DUONG THU (performed)

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