Why is Hung King's death anniversary held on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month?

Long-standing beliefs of Vietnamese people

The worship of Hung Kings has existed since ancient times, originating from the people's deep gratitude to those who built the country. Although there was no specific date in the early period, people often chose convenient occasions, especially spring and autumn - the time when the climate is mild and trees sprout - to make pilgrimages to Hung Temple, Nghia Linh Mountain (Phu Tho Province), to burn incense and commemorate their ancestors.

People eagerly go to Hung Temple festival (Phu Tho).

Since the time of the Dinh, Tien Le, Ly, Tran, Hau Le dynasties, the worship of incense at Hung Temple has been highly regarded by the royal court. However, the death anniversary activities often take place in a scattered manner, and in many places, they are held on the 11th or 12th day of the third lunar month. This lack of unity makes the death anniversary unable to demonstrate the unity of the entire nation.

Realizing the need for an official, nationwide death anniversary, in 1917 - under the reign of King Khai Dinh, the then Governor of Phu Tho, Mr. Le Trung Ngoc, submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Rites to make the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month the Hung King's death anniversary for the whole country. This proposal was approved by the royal court, marking an important milestone in the institutionalization of the ancestor-honoring ceremony into a national cultural tradition.

The stone stele at the Upper Temple also clearly states: "In the second year of Khai Dinh (1917), Phu Tho Governor Le Trung Ngoc sent a document requesting the Ministry of Rites to set March 10 as the International Day, one day before the 18th Hung King's death anniversary."

Since then, the 10th day of the third lunar month has officially become the Hung Kings' death anniversary nationwide.

A special cultural heritage

After the August Revolution in 1945, the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day continued to affirm its position. On February 18, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 22/SL-CTN recognizing the 10th day of the third lunar month as a major national event. During his visit to Hung Temple in September 1954, President Ho Chi Minh left behind the immortal saying: "The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country, we, your descendants, must work together to protect the country."

Since 2001, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) has issued specific regulations on the organization of Hung Kings' Commemoration Day nationwide. In 2007, the National Assembly officially approved Hung Kings' Commemoration Day as a public holiday in the year, and workers are entitled to take a day off and receive full pay on this day.

Since then, the 10th day of the third lunar month has officially become the Hung Kings' death anniversary nationwide.

The Hung Temple Festival is solemnly held at the Hung Temple Relic Site (Phu Tho) on a national or local scale depending on the year. In odd years, it is hosted by Phu Tho province, in even years it is held at the central level, and it also spreads to many localities across the country.

The Hung King worship ritual is not only recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage but also honored by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, contributing to affirming the eternal value of the morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking" in Vietnamese culture.

The folk song passed down through generations: "No matter where you go, remember the Ancestor's Death Anniversary on the tenth day of the third lunar month" still resonates in the hearts of every Vietnamese person as a sacred reminder - of the origin, of ancestors and of the responsibility to preserve the country today.

PV

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vi-sao-gio-to-hung-vuong-duoc-to-chuc-vao-mung-10-thang-3-am-lich-post341655.html