Others in the attendance included Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Affairs Nguyen Van Binh together with ministers and local leaders.
In the sacred moment, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong along with Party and state leaders and local authorities offered incense, flowers and offerings to show their gratitude to the Hung Kings, the founders of the Vietnamese nation, and pray for national prosperity, peace, and strength.
On the same day, the officials also offered incense at the temple for legendary founder Lac Long Quan who laid foundations for the nation.
According to Vietnamese legend, the 18 Hung Kings ruled during the first period of Vietnamese history, from 2879-258 BC.
The Hung Kings Festival is held annually from the eighth to the eleventh days of the third lunar month.
To honour their great history, a 1,030 hectare complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain , and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.
There are 1,417 sites dedicated to worshipping the Hung Kings and the related figures in their era across the nation, including 326 sites in Phu Tho province.
The worshipping ritual of the Hung Kings is closely related to the ancestor worshipping traditions in most Vietnamese families, which forms an important part of people's spiritual lives.
It was recognized by UNESCO as part of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
This year, a broad array of activities are underway from April 12-16, such as banh chung (square cake) and banh giay (round sticky rice cake) making contests, sports events, a folk song festival and a street carnival that introduces the diversity of the province’s folk culture to visitors.
