Hung Kings Temple Festival 2026: First-ever int'l art exhibition to be staged

The northern province of Phu Tho is set to host the first-ever international art exhibition, as part of the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the 2026 Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Duong Hoang Huong told a meeting on March 27.

Huong said this year’s edition will be more tightly orchestrated than in 2025, with new events designed to draw bigger crowds and broaden cultural exchange.

Authorities will also revive the Folk Street Culture Festival, integrating it with the “Tourism Colours” spectacle and mass arts performances to create a seamless lineup of cultural activities for locals and visitors alike.

Nguyen Huy Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, described the upcoming Hung Kings Commemoration Day - Hung Kings Temple Festival and Culture and Tourism Week as more than a tribute to the Hung kings - the legendary ancestors of the nation. Rather, he declared it a golden opportunity to spotlight Phu Tho’s profound cultural legacy, elevate its appeal as a destination of note, and cast its timeless image across broader horizons.

Ngoc suggested the provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation steer media coverage and assign the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to set up a press centre to facilitate reporting.

Travel operators and key opinion leaders were likewise encouraged to ramp up promotion of tours and packages, showing Phu Tho as a vibrant retreat for those who seek destinations steeped in history and culture.

The events are scheduled for April 17 26 at the Hung Kings Temple national special relic site and other local venues. Traditional rituals will take centre stage, complemented by more than 25 cultural, sporting, and tourism activities of broader scale.

In a related draw, night tours at the Hung Kings Temple relic will run from April 7 21, while a high-altitude fireworks display is set for 21:30 on April 25 at Van Lang Park pedestrian bridge in Viet Tri ward.

Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, a son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co then went on to give birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which 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 ward in Phu Tho province), beginning the 18 reigns of the Hung Kings.

The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for bumper crops.

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 traditions of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012.