Promoting Hung King worship in the digital age

The Hung King worship is not only a belief but also a link between the past, present and future. In the digital age, preserving and promoting the value of this belief does not only rely on traditional rituals but also requires the application of technology to reach a wider community, contributing to the development of cultural and spiritual tourism in the locality.

The Hung King worship is one of the most important folk beliefs of the Vietnamese people, expressing gratitude to ancestors and national pride. With that profound meaning, for hundreds of years, the Vietnamese people have always considered the Hung King's death anniversary (10th day of the 3rd lunar month) as an important day, demonstrating the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source".

On the occasion of Hung Kings' death anniversary, Hung Temple always welcomes many people from everywhere to come here to express their respect to their ancestors.

National origin, historical and cultural imprints

Not just a ritual, in 2012, the Hung King worship was also recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, demonstrating the everlasting cultural value of the Vietnamese people.

In Binh Dinh, this is not only famous for the heroic history of the Tay Son army but also a land with many unique cultural heritages, including the worship of Hung Kings. Although not a place with Hung Temple relics like Phu Tho, Binh Dinh people still maintain the custom of worshiping Hung Kings as a way to express gratitude to their ancestors and the origin of the nation.

In the orientation of building a new human being and traditional culture of Binh Dinh, we need to consider the worship of the Hung Kings as the connection between the past and the present. The worship of the Hung Kings is not only a nostalgia for the past but also a bridge between tradition and modernity. Every year, millions of people from all over the country come to offer incense at Hung Temple (Phu Tho), creating a sacred space and community solidarity. Rituals such as palanquin procession, incense offering, and sacrifices are all imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, helping the younger generation understand the origin of the nation.

Hung Vuong High School (Quy Nhon City) holds an annual incense offering ceremony at the Hung King Monument. Photo: KIEU VY

In addition, the Hung King worship also shows patriotism, reminds each citizen of the responsibility to preserve cultural identity, promote traditions to build a prosperous country. Like other localities, in Binh Dinh, traditional activities associated with the Hung King worship are of interest to the local government. Every year, on the occasion of the Hung King's death anniversary, Binh Dinh organizes many activities imbued with national cultural identity such as: Incense offering ceremony at the Hung King statue at Hung Vuong High School (Quy Nhon City) with the participation of local leaders, teachers and students; religious activities take place in many residential communities; many neighborhoods and villages organize ceremonies and worship the national ancestors, considering this an activity to connect the village and neighborhood, praying for a year of peace, prosperity and development.

Activities to introduce culinary culture through typical dishes of Binh Dinh such as Banh It La Gai, Nem Cho Huyen, Banh Hoi Long Heo - dishes imbued with traditional culture of this land are organized in some localities on the occasion of Hung Kings' Death Anniversary. This activity helps people have vivid experiences and increases solidarity.

Creating momentum for tourism development

Entering the digital age, the preservation and promotion of the value of the Hung Kings worship has also undergone many innovations. Thanks to the support of digital technology, activities honoring the Hung Kings are increasingly diverse and more widely accessible. First of all, documents, historical relics, and stories about the Hung Kings are digitized in the form of documents, documentaries, and podcasts, helping people easily access information via the internet. Second, organizing online festivals, for example, a few years ago, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, many forms of online incense offering and virtual tours of the Hung Kings Temple relic were born, helping people to easily express their respect even from afar.

We also need to develop and apply virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology, which will help recreate the Hung Temple relic space, bringing a realistic experience to viewers, especially useful for the younger generation. And perhaps we also need to promote the role of social networks and digital media, platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok to help popularize cultural values, bringing the Hung King worship closer to the domestic and international community.

For Binh Dinh today, the application of digital technology to promote religious values is a top concern in the work of preserving and promoting national cultural heritage in the locality. Proactively adapting to the digital age, Binh Dinh has had many innovative activities in preserving, promoting and promoting the values of Hung King worship. To promote it further, we need to pay attention to organizing livestream incense offering ceremonies at locations where the National Ancestor worship ceremony is held on social networking platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, helping people across the country to watch online. Developing digital tourism associated with tourism, many travel companies in Binh Dinh have applied the form of online relic visits, helping visitors experience the space of Hung King worship without having to go there in person.

In the trend of sustainable tourism development, it is necessary to consider promoting the value of the Hung King worship belief combined with the unique features of the locality. Doing this will create a new driving force contributing to the development of Binh Dinh cultural tourism. In addition to the need to invest in building a simple but solemn Hung King temple, local authorities need to have a policy to promote the worship of Hung Kings through the establishment of altars and Hung King deities in communal houses and temples invested by the locality. In addition, Binh Dinh needs to aim to combine the Hung King worship belief with the development of cultural and spiritual tourism. Some potential directions include: Building spiritual tours combined with visiting historical relics such as the place where the Hung King is worshiped, the Tay Son Heaven and Earth Altar, the Quang Trung Museum, etc. In the process of organizing routes, it is necessary to combine traditional martial arts and beliefs, organize traditional martial arts performances at Hung King worshiping places, creating highlights to attract tourists. Connect with other localities with strong Hung King worship beliefs such as Phu Tho and Ho Chi Minh City to organize cultural exchange activities.

Dr. VO MINH HAI (Quy Nhon University)

Source: https://baobinhdinh.vn/viewer.aspx?macm=22&macmp=22&mabb=353885