Hung King Temple is a complex of majestic buildings
>>> temple of literature vietnam is a rare example of well-preserved
traditional Vietnamese architecture
As the legend goes, thousands of years ago, Lac Long Quan (King Dragon of the Land of Lac) had the transcendent strength and preferred staying near water. He succeeded to the throne of his father and governed Lac-Viet tribe. Before long, De Lai, king of a northern tribe, with his daughter Au Co made a trip to visit the south. Admiring Lac Long Quan’s talent, De Lai married Au Co to Lac Long Quan. Au Co got pregnant and gave birth to a membranous sac. The sac kept getting larger and larger and burst on the seventh day. Surprisingly, there were one hundred eggs in the sac, which hatched into one hundred beautiful babies. The children of Lac Long Quan and Au Co were the ancestors of Vietnam, and so the Vietnamese are known as “Dragon and Fairy descendants.” The eldest son of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, who was with this mother, established himself at Phong Chau, now the southern part of Phu Tho Province, and made himself king. That was King Hung I whose realm was made up by 50 tribes. The 18 Hung kings then ruled the country from 2879 to 258BC.
There are three main sites including Lower Temple, Middle Temple, Upper Temple respectively situated from the foot to the top of the mountain. 225 hike-up steps from Dai Mon Gate lies Lower Temple. He steps continue to the Middle Temple where Hung Kings took a rest and hold political meetings. On the summit of the mountain is Upper Temple where ceremonies were held to be dedicated to the gods of heaven and earth. You may have a chance to visit the 6th Hung King tomb.
At the foot of the mountain is a well filled with clean water throughout four seasons. It is also the worshipping place of the 18th Hung King’s daughter, Ngoc Hoa and Tien Dung who were in the habit of brushing their hair and looking at themselves in the water of the well.
Hung Kings’ Temple Festival is annually held from 8th to the 11th days of the third lunar month. The main festival day is on the 10th day of the third lunar March, on which the National Assembly has approved Vietnamese working people to annually have one more national holiday to mark the anniversary of the Hung King’s death. Every year, on this traditional occasion, Vietnamese people worldwide join their brothers and sisters in spirit to observe Vietnam National Day in commemoration of their ancestors. The main ceremony takes place at the Hung Temple on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phong Chau District, Phu Tho Province, some 85km north-west of Hanoi. The Hung King Temple Festival is one of the most important and sacred festivals of the Vietnamese people, deeply embedded in the minds of every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of where they originated from.
There is a famous saying in Vietnam: “Dù ai đi ngược về xuôi, nhớ ngày giỗ Tổ mùng mười tháng ba”. It means “Anywhere we go, we must remember the 10th of March – the memorial day of our ancestors”. Vietnamese people, wherever they are, all remember the death anniversary of their ancestors, which falls on the 10th day of the third lunar month. Hung Kings temple has always been a symbol of the Vietnamese spirit and unity.