Lao Dong reporter had an exchange with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Hoai Son - a National Assembly delegate who is a full-time member of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Society - on the occasion of the Hung Temple Festival and Hung Kings Commemoration Day 2026.
Sir, in today's modern rhythm of life, what is the meaning of Hung Kings' Death Anniversary for Vietnamese people?
- Every year, the flow of people turns to Hung Temple, not only to offer incense to the Hung Kings, but also as a reminder that this country was not built in one day. Behind today's peace, independence, unity and development are the efforts, sweat, intelligence, blood and bones of many generations of people who have successively built and defended the country.
What makes the special meaning of the Hung Kings Commemoration Day is that this festival not only evokes pride, but also awakens gratitude. And gratitude, if understood to the fullest, cannot just stop at emotions. It must become a responsibility. The responsibility to live better, work better, and be more attached to the community, agencies, businesses, and the homeland and country.
In today's rhythm of life, looking towards Hung Temple - Hung Kings Commemoration Ceremony is not only a ritual to show gratitude to ancestors, but also an opportunity for each Vietnamese person to realize something very fundamental: the strength of this country begins from the source of the nation, from patriotism, from the spirit of community, from the bond between people through generations.
In the context of the country's strong development and integration, how do you see the role of Hung Kings Commemoration for preserving historical memories and the common value system of the nation?
- A country can grow rapidly thanks to investment capital, thanks to technology, thanks to the market. But a country can only go long when the people of that country still have a common belief, a common memory and a common value system to rely on each other.
Days like Giỗ Tổ preserve that very thing. They make history not fall out of life. They make people, amidst daily busyness, still have a chance to rest and remember that the strength of the nation begins from the ability to jointly preserve what is most sacred.
Currently, the Hung Temple festival is being expanded in scale and associated with many tourism and cultural activities. According to you, how should this be viewed?
- This year, the festival is organized with many ceremonial and festival activities. The activities are expanded in scale and space, taking place not only at the Hung Temple Special National Historical Relic Site but also in many localities in the province, forming a series of events in the Culture - Tourism Week of the Land of Origin. These new points show a commendable effort in making heritage more vividly present in today's life.
But the most important thing is still to preserve the soul of the holiday. Because the greatest value of Giỗ Tổ lies not in the number of activities, but in the capacity to nurture the national spirit. That is something that cannot be measured by revenue or number of visitors, but it has long-term significance for the sustainability of the country.
Therefore, Hung Kings Commemoration is not just a matter of the cultural sector or of the Ancestral Land alone. This is also a story of social cohesion, civic consciousness and national internal strength.
From that meaning, we see even more clearly the value of "culture as the spiritual foundation of society, internal strength, driving force for national development and defense of the Fatherland" as Resolution 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo has stated, sir?
- We are entering a new stage of development with more big goals, higher requirements, and stronger competitive pressure.
Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo has identified culture as the "spiritual foundation of society, internal strength, driving force for national development and defense of the Fatherland", which is not only for the cultural sector. It is a reminder to the whole society that development cannot only go on economic footsteps; development also needs a strong enough spiritual spine.
That national source must be continued in today's working life, in responsible working style, in the spirit of overcoming difficulties, in the kindness between people.
Perhaps that is why every Giỗ Tổ season, the most precious thing is not only the sincerity of millions of people when looking towards Hung Temple. What is more precious is that from that sincerity, each person reminds themselves to live worthyly. Worthy of the ancestors who built the country. Worthy of those who sacrificed to protect the country. Worthy of many workers who are silently creating the face of the country every day. And worthy of future generations, those who will continue to look at today to assess what we have done for the future of Vietnam.
Thank you, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Hoai Son!
