Hung Kings Temple festival 2013 kicks off

(CPV) - The Hung Kings Temple festival 2013 and ceremonial receiving of the UNESCO certificate recognizing Hung Kings worship as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was officially held by the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee at the Hung Kings relic sites in Phu Tho province on April 13.

State President Truong Tan Sang, Head of the Party Central Committee Commission of Popularization and Education Dinh The Huynh, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan, other local and foreign officials, outstanding overseas Vietnamese and tens of thousands of Vietnamese residents from across the nation attended the ceremony.

The festival will last from April 13 -19 (March 4-10 on the lunar calendar). A series of activities will be organized, including tourism development programs, street festivals, folk processions, Xoan singing, traditional cake making competitions, and photo exhibitions.

Following are some images from the opening ceremony of the Hung Kings Temple festival 2013:

Representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) granted the certificate recognizing the worship of the Hung Kings as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity  for Phu Tho province

Deputies at the ceremony

Special and imposing performance acts

…were arranged meticulously, simulating the origin and history of Vietnam

Simulating procession of Chung (rice) cake and Day (circle) cake

Simulating the main Gate of Hung Kings Temple

The music and architecture represented also carried the cultural characteristics of the Hung Kings period

Simulating the legend of Thanh (Saint) Giong flying to heaven

… and other historical and glorious events of the nation

The opening ceremony ended with a spectacular fireworks show