No matter where you go/Thanks to the anniversary of the ancestors, we celebrate the tenth of March. This folk song has been deeply imprinted in the minds of the Vietnamese people for generations. Every Hung King's Anniversary, every Vietnamese person turns to their ancestors and roots with pride in their history and traditional culture. And, the Hung King's Anniversary has become a unique cultural symbol, forming the strength of great national unity.
Mai An Tiem Festival is associated with the legend of the adopted son of the 18th Hung King.
The Hung Kings' death anniversary is a typical and concrete expression of our nation's Hung Kings worship. The Hung Kings' worship is closely linked to the history of the formation and development of the Vietnamese nation and the Hung Kings - the ancestors of the Vietnamese nation.
According to legends, folklore and historical records, the Hung Kings established the Van Lang State - the first state in the history of the Vietnamese nation. The Van Lang State, together with the brilliant Red River civilization, laid the foundation for the country's development. The cultural values of this period gradually permeated the lives and souls of the Vietnamese people, becoming the quintessence of national culture that the people have preserved and developed to this day.
The worship of Hung Kings originated from the worship of ancestors. And more specifically, this belief has become the highest expression of the worship of ancestors, a belief that makes the uniqueness of Vietnamese culture associated with gratitude for the merits of ancestors. According to historical records, since the post-Le dynasty, the worship of Hung Kings was performed by local people. During the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, the Hung Temple festival was brought to the national level, and the ceremony was presided over by a mandarin representing the court. Through many ups and downs of history, the worship of Hung Kings has been created, practiced and passed down to this day by generations of Vietnamese people. Then, the common belief of the Vietnamese people has been honored as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Currently, many legends or vestiges related to the Hung King period are still preserved throughout the country. Among them, Thanh land is one of the typical representatives associated with many vestiges of the Hung King period. The first vestige to mention is the name. According to legend, Hung King founded Van Lang country, dividing the country into 15 departments, of which Cuu Chan Department (now Thanh Hoa) is one of the large departments. Next, Dong Son culture is one of the typical civilizations and cultures of the Hung King period associated with bronze casting and wet rice. Besides, the belief and custom of worshiping mother Au Co and father Lac Long Quan are still preserved in many localities from the sea to the highlands, such as Phu Na Relic Area (Nhu Thanh), Dien Trung (Ba Thuoc), Nga Phu commune, Nga Bach (Nga Son)...
In particular, Thanh Hoa is also associated with many relics and legends, miracles about the characters of the Hung King period. Typical of these are Mai An Tiem temple and Mai An Tiem festival in Nga Phu commune, Nga Son. The temple and festival are associated with the legend of the adopted son of the 18th Hung King - Mai An Tiem who turned a deserted island into a fertile land, famous for growing watermelons. That deserted island is the current Nga Son land. Or Ho Bai temple (Yen Dinh) worships the god Lac Hau Hop Lang - a son of King Hung. The relic worshiping Saint Giong in Thach Lap commune, Ngoc Lac district is associated with the story of the hero Saint Giong riding an iron horse, wearing an iron helmet, using an iron sword to defeat the An invaders and flying to heaven. The Banh Chung and Banh Day festival (Sam Son city) recalls the legend of Lang Lieu using sticky rice to make Banh Chung and Banh Day. Dong Co Temple - Dong Co Temple Festival (in Dan Ne village, Yen Tho commune, Yen Dinh district) is associated with Dong Co god, also known as the bronze drum god, the god who appeared to help King Hung fight the enemy when the first Hung King brought his army to the South to defeat the enemy Ho Ton and stopped at Kha Lao village (today's Dan Ne village).
In addition, there are relics worshiping generals such as Quang Te, Linh Thong, Quy Minh, Phan Nhac, etc. in localities such as Cam Thuy, Nga Son, Ha Trung, Quang Xuong, Tinh Gia, etc. The relics and festivals associated with the characters of the Hung King era are all maintained and organized annually, attracting a large number of people to visit and worship.
Over the centuries, the cultural sediments and historical-cultural relics associated with the Hung King era have been preserved and promoted by the Thanh Hoa people in their pride of origin. Then, those sediments have become a source of strength that spreads and lasts forever in the community life of the Thanh people, becoming an endogenous strength and a solid foundation for sustainable development.
Article and photos: Thuy Linh
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