Overseas Vietnamese abroad commemorate legendary national founders

The Hung Kings are commemorated each year on the 10th day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 10 this year, as an occasion for the nation to express gratitude to the ancestors.

During the ceremony in Russia on April 10, Phan Le Chuyen, on behalf of 10 Vietnamese people evacuated from the Mariupol war zone in Ukraine to Russia, thanked the Vietnamese community in Russia for their support for the evacuees.

The celebration offered a chance for Vietnamese people abroad to express their solidarity and turn their hearts towards the homeland, said Dr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Russia.

Addressing the event in Udon Thani province of Thailand on the same day, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Udon Thani Luong Xuan Hoa said that this year is the 4th year in a row the community has held the commemoration in Khanh An Pagoda.

He called on overseas Vietnamese in Thailand, especially young people, to join hands to preserve the traditional culture of the nation, and maintain practical activities towards the homeland.

The same day, a ceremony to commemorate Hung Kings was organised under the chair of Venerable Thich Phap Nhan, head of Pho Da Temple in Berlin, Germany.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh presented certificates of merit to four individuals who had made special contributions as well as had great influence on the Vietnamese community in the European country.

Previously, speaking at a ceremony to commemorate Hung Kings in the Czech Republic on April 9, Vietnamese Ambassador Thai Xuan Dung affirmed that the embassy always accompanies activities of the Vietnamese community in the country in order to preserve and promote the nation's cultural identity and traditions, and strengthen solidarity.

On April 8, a similar ceremony was held by the Vietnamese Embassy and community in Hungary to pay homage to Hung Kings.

Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with 100 eggs, which soon hatched into a hundred sons. However, soon thereafter, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest.

Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city in Phu Tho province), beginning the 18 generations of the Hung Kings.

To honour their great contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the 10th day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.

The worship of the Hung Kings, closely related to the ancestral worship tradition of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012.