Palanquin procession held to commemorate nation’s predecessors

A palanquin procession to Hung Kings Temple was held in Viet Tri City, in the northern province of Phu Tho, on April 15 to pay tribute to the legendary founders of Vietnam.

The procession from communal houses and temples of seven localities near Hung Kings Temple to the historical relic site reenacted ancestor worship-related practices by residents and took place as part of the Hung Kings Temple Festival.

The palanquin was carried by village elders, young men and women in traditional costumes from communal houses to the Hung Kings Temple complex.

The procession, a local ritual maintained for thousands of years by people, took place alongside lion dances and the noisy beating of drums and gongs.

The palanquin procession, part of the Hung Kings Temple Festival, is one of the country’s largest annual cultural events commemorating the birth of the Hung Kings, believed to be the Vietnamese nation’s founders. It began on April 9 this year and is scheduled to last through April 18.

It aims to express gratitude to the kings and raise public awareness about the nation’s special history.