President offers incense at Thang Long Imperial Citadel

The incense offering ceremony is to commemorate national ancestors and pray for the country’s prosperity.

The event, held at the Thang Long Royal Citadel in Hanoi, demonstrates Vietnam’s tradition of “Drinking water, remembering its source”.

The ceremony is part of celebrations of Tet, the traditional Lunar New Year Festival. Other activities included worshiping the Kichen Gods and erecting “neu”, a bamboo pole believed to ward off ghosts and demons from entering the community during Tet.

Other traditional rituals include a palanquin procession staged by over 300 people, a dragon dance, a drum performance, a water puppet show, and a folk music performance.

In the past, the early spring ceremony was held by kings to pay tribute to ancestors and pray for peace and happiness for the nation, according to Nguyen Viet Chuc, director of the Thang Long culture research institute.

The ceremony has been revived over recent years to honour the tradition of the old royal capital.

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was built in the 11th century during the Ly dynasty to mark the independence of Dai Viet, the former name of Vietnam. The central sector of the citadel was listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in July 2010.