Northern province hosts holiday to commemorate founders
15:21 04/03/2009

      Phu Tho province – the ancient capital of Vietnam – opened the Hung Kings Festival 2007 Sunday, with thousands of visitors coming to commemorate the national founders.

Deputy Head of the management board of the Hung historic site, Ta Duc Chuyen said over the last two days the place had received some 20,000 visitors.

The festival, running until the lunar March 10 (Apr. 26), incorporates a bevy of cultural activities commemorating Hung Kings – including bronze drum, folk songs performances, lion dance, among others.

Vietnamese history, which sometimes borders on mythology, has it that the Hung Kings reigned over what is now northern Vietnam from 2879 BC to 258 BC.

The Phu Tho-based festival is expected to receive tens of thousands of visitors more as this year it is instated as a national holiday.

Also on Sunday, in Ho Chi Minh City’s Zoo and Suoi Tien Cultural Park, the celebration started with a palanquin parade, incense offerings, dragon dance, among others.

Dam Sen Cultural Park successfully made the giant 2.6ton-weigh Banh chung (square-shaped sticky rice cake) and 1.2ton-weigh Banh day (round-shaped sticky rice cake) of 2.7m x 0.7m and with the diameter of 2.7m, respectively.

The Banh chung which broke the record of 2005 of 2 tons, together with its counterpart - Banh day were transported to Phu Tho province for the coming worship at the place, where they would be cut and offered to the visitors on Apr. 26.

Another giant Banh chung will be provided free for HCMC citizens at Dam Sen Park also on Apr. 26.

In related news, Suoi Tien Cultural Park has invested over VND4 billion (US$249,360) on building an artificial Hung King temple, granite carving the Hung Kings square, and setting up a stage with the capacity of 3,000 audiences for the official celebration on Apr. 26.

The park will hold a camp fair in two days entitled, “Celebrating Hung Kings Festival” with the participation of 10,000 students, and entertainment shows with the displays of over 1,000 performing artists coming from 25 minority groups within the nation.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre, Nguoi Lao Dong – Compiled by Luu Thi Hong

Source : thanhniennews.com