A grand ceremony to commemorate the death anniversary of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, the nation's legendary father and mother, who are believed to lay the very first ground for the formation of the Vietnamese nation, was held in the northern midland Phu Tho province on April 15.
Delegates and pilgrims nationwide burnt incense to express gratitude to the nation's father and mother. They affirmed the Vietnamese people's determination to further consolidate national solidarity and defend national sovereignty, while building a peaceful and prosperous country.
Legend has it that dragon king Lac Long Quan got married to fairy Au Co who later gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs, from which 100 sons were born. They were believed to be the ancestors of the Vietnamese. When the couple parted, Lac Long Quan went to the south seawards with 50 of their children while Au Co went to the mountainous region with the other half.
Their eldest son later installed himself as Vietnam's first king Hung Vuong and named the country Van Lang. He set up the capital in Phong Chau (nowadays Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province), starting the 18 reigns of Hung Kings.
The commemoration ceremony was an activity during the week-long Hung Kings Temple festival, which is held annually to pay tribute to nation's founders.
On the occasion, Phu Tho received a certificate of UNESCO's recognition of the practice of Hung Kings worshipping as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.