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State President Nguyen Minh Triet lit incense sticks and laid floral wreaths at Hung Kings’ shrines and tomb in a temple dedicated to the national founders on their death anniversary on lunar March 10 every year, which fell on April 4 this year.
The temple, located on the Nghia Linh mountain peak in the northern province of Phu Tho, a historic relics site related to the Hung Kings, witnessed a solemn celebration marked with a 100-strong parade. The youths in traditional costumes on the parade symbolized the first 100 Vietnamese children under the Mother Au Co legend.
The memorial oration to Hung Kings delivered by Chairman of the Phu Tho provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Doan Khanh emphasised the great significance of the event in recognition of Hung Kings’ credits for founding the Van Lang state, the first of the Vietnamese nation.
The oration also reflected the national unity under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
The celebration continued with State President Triet and a crowd of senior officials and overseas Vietnamese laying floral wreaths at a relief at a site on the flank of Nghia Linh mountain where Vietnam’s first President Ho Chi Minh met the Tien Phong (Vanguard) military battalion 55 years ago.
The September 9, 1954 event went into the Vietnamese history with the then President’s teaching “Hung Kings had made great efforts to found the nation, you and I have to work hard together to defend the nation”.
Also on the day, President Triet held a get-together with 50 overseas Vietnamese from 19 countries over the world who came to attend the Hung Kings’ death anniversary.
Overseas Vietnamese representatives expressed thanks to the State and Party for creating favourable conditions for them to get back to their origin and contribute more to the motherland.
They spoke of their expectation for the Government and Party to make more policies and work out more programmes that help promote national culture and Vietnamese teaching for Vietnamese overseas.
They also vowed to strengthen unity and mutual assistance among the Vietnamese community for further integration in resident countries as well as to educate their children and grandchildren in national traditions and prides.
In reply, the State leader assured expatriates of their fellow patriots’ high respect to their sentiments and contributions to the motherland.
He encouraged overseas Vietnamese to boost the teaching of the mother tongue for their younger generations, educating them in the traditional culture and the history of the 18 generations of the Hung dynasty.
Triet also called on the overseas Vietnamese community to abide by law in their resident countries and work hard.
“Your success is the national pride,” emphasised the State leader.
“The gentle Vietnamese motherland always widely opens her arms to welcome her children to come back, including those misled before,” he concluded.
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