Last updated: 16:34 - February 24, 2007
Hung Kings' Temple festival kicks off http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/travel/240207/travel_hu.htm
A carnival spirit gripped Phu Tho province last night on the sixth day of the Year of the Pig as the Hung Kings' Temple Festival 2007 celebrating the reign of the Hung Kings got underway.
Boat races, a palanquin procession and lion dances performed by artists from Viet Tri City opened this year's festival. Games, elephant dances and folk songs of surrounding districts such as Lam Thao, Tam Nong and Thanh Thuy added to the convivial atmosphere of the occasion.
The annual festival is an opportunity for the Vietnamese people to commemorate the dynasty of the Hung Kings, considered the founding fathers of Vietnam. In addition, the festival comes just ahead of next month's celebrations to mark the 77th anniversary of the formation of the Party and the 10th anniversary since Phu Tho was re-established as a province.
The site, where the Hung Kings' Temple is located, has become a popular destination for pilgrims celebrating the Lunar New Year, and trade was brisk in the stalls and shops surrounding the temple since the early hours Feb. 22.
The Hung mausoleum is located within the Hung Temple and is revered as the country's heart and soul.
The Government has invested tens of millions of dong in restoring the historic site. The temple premises will also be enlarged by 1,000 ha of the south.
There will be an open area for worship, a lobby for celebrations, a guest house and other structures within the central area. Work is expected to be completed by 2015.
In addition, temples and pagodas on Nghia Linh Mountain, where Hung Kings prayed for good harvests, will also be renovated.
This year, Phu Tho province is planning to start work on Lac Long Quan Temple, which has been approved by the Ministry of Culture and Information. Along with Mother Au Co Temple and Hung Temple, it will celebrate the country's 4,000 years of history. A village depicting life in the Hung Kings period will also be recreated.
Near the Hung Temple, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Welfare has built a revolutionary martyr monument on the Ca Chuoi Hill. The province is also planning to build monuments on the Mom Ga Hill. They will feature styles typical of other parts of the country and will hold displays of Hung period artefacts.
The Hung Kings festival lasts until April 26. (VNA)
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