Ready for the Ancestor's Commemoration Ceremony
Nearing the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, the road to the Temple of the Golden Eagle and Hung Kings on Hong Linh Mountain has been cleared, cleaned, and many banners have been hung to welcome people and tourists from all over the world.
Located on the top of the mountain, the temple is also known as Cao temple or the capital of Ngan Hong, placing the statue of the ancestor of Kinh Duong Vuong and the Hung Kings on the campus of about 100m2. From here, you can zoom in the panoramic view of Hong Linh urban area with high -rise buildings.
Ms. Le Thi Thanh Hai - Chairman of the People's Committee of Dau Lieu Ward - said that every year, on the eve of the Ancestor's Commemoration Day, hundreds of people from 8 residential groups in the ward are mobilized to work, clean and renovate the Dai Hung Relic Site and at the Kinh Duong Vuong Tu Temple area.
According to Ms. Hai, in previous years, the People's Committee of Hong Linh town presided over the Hung Kings' Commemoration Ceremony, but in 2025, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province will preside over the death anniversary on a larger scale.
"Up to this point, all preparation for the death anniversary of Hung Vuong, from the ceremony to the festival, has been planned and set a specific time.
According to Ms. Hai, it is expected that this year, people in Hong Linh town will wrap 1,300 banh chung to offer at the Hung Vuong Commemoration Ceremony. In particular, Dau Lieu ward alone plans to wrap 2 banh chung, each weighing about 20kg, to offer the body to King Hung.
The intersection between Buddhism and beliefs
Ms. Tran Thi Kieu Khanh - Vice Chairman of People's Committee of Dau Lieu Ward - said that according to legend, at the beginning of building the country, Kinh Duong Vuong once chose Hong Linh mountain to be the capital, called the capital of thousands of Hong, putting the national name as Xich Dem. Here, he was married to Than Long and gave birth to Long Vuong (Lac Long Quan). After that, in order to consolidate Jiangshan, he moved the capital to Ao Viet mountains (now Viet Tri, Phu Tho).
According to Ms. Khanh, based on historical documents and legend, the Thuy Temple of Kinh Duong Vuong and the Hung Kings in Hong Linh was built by the people around the 14th century, on the mountain tops north of Mong Ga peak in Hong Linh range.
According to the seniors in the region, this was the largest temple of the old bureaucracy. This is proved through large circumference stones and remaining foundation traces. However, over time and historical transformation, the old temple gradually becomes a ruins. By 2020, the temple will be restored.
"The special thing about the Temple and the National Day Ceremony of Hung Vuong here is the intersection between Buddhism and beliefs" - Ms. Khanh shared.
Also according to Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dau Lieu Ward, the Ceremony of the Tabing of the Holy Dynasty of Kinh Duong Vuong on January 18 (lunar calendar) every year, the Tu Hung Pagoda Committee also carried out the procurement of offerings to the death anniversary and invited the representative of Dau Lieu Ward to offer incense.
On the occasion of Hung Vuong's Commemoration Day (March 10 of the lunar calendar), monks and Buddhists at Dai Hung Pagoda participated in cooking vegetarian and sticky rice dishes to serve people and tourists from all over the world to participate in the Commemoration Ceremony.
A representative of the Department of Culture, Science and Information of Hong Linh town said that the special thing about Dai Hung pagoda compared to other pagodas in Ha Tinh is that this place not only serves Buddhist rituals but is also a space for intersection between religion and belief. Every year, on the occasion of the Year-end ceremony of the Sea of the Dragon and Hung King, many Buddhists and people inside and outside the province come to offer incense and hold a memorial gathering.
With its cultural, historical and spiritual values, Dai Hung Relic Site has been ranked as a provincial-level historical - cultural relic by the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province since 2008. The Hung Vuong National Day Ceremony here was recognized as a provincial-level festival in 2022.
