On the evening of April 06 (the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month), the City Party Committee, People’s Councils, People’s Committee, and VFF Committee of Can Tho City solemnly held the inauguration ceremony of Hung Kings’ Temple in Can Tho City. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Former President Truong Tan Sang, Former Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and representatives of central, provincial and city departments, unions and associations were among the guests.

The delegates perform the ritual of inaugurating the Hung Kings’ Temple in Can Tho City

Hung Kings’ Temple with an area of 4 hectares was commenced on June 18, 2019, in Area 7, Binh Thuy Ward, Binh Thuy District, including the following main items: Main temple, Stele House, Triumphal arch, Administration building, Courtyard, etc. The main temple has the shape of a bronze drum stylized as in the Hung Kings’ era. It is surrounded by a round-shaped lake on a square-shaped base, symbolising “the round sky and the square ground”. 18 surrounding flaps represent 18 Hung Kings. 54 pillars in the lake demonstrate 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, as well as the river cultures of the Southern. The project serves the religious need of worshipping Hung Kings for a majority of people in Can Tho City and other regions in the Mekong Delta.

Tran Viet Truong, Chairman of the People Committee of Can Tho City, stated that this was a tremendous honour and pride, showing the gratitude and respect of residents in Can Tho City and Vietnam for their ancestors. He hoped that the Party Committee, Authorities and residents in Can Tho City would take the responsibility for effectively promoting the value and contributing to developing a Vietnamese culture advanced and imbued with national identity.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Hung Kings have been considered, in the Vietnamese people’s minds, as the National Ancestor who built the first government in Vietnam and as their common ancestor. The ritual of worshipping Hung Kings became a profound cultural identity and a traditional moral principle followed by successive generations, displaying the descendants’ respect and gratitude towards their ancestors’ credit for building and defending the country.

Moreover, this was a spiritual activity to pray for peace, prosperity and happiness for the country and its people, implying the connection, love and support among Vietnamese communities.

The President said that Hung Kings’ Temple was a spiritual convergence point in the Southern land, the heroic land of Nine Dragons. He believed that the Party Committee, Authorities and people in Can Tho City would continue to succeed, uphold the revolutionary tradition, resilience, solidarity, dynamism, creativity, determination to overcome any challenges, and successfully complete the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and Resolution of the 14th Party Congress of Can Tho City, turning Can Tho City into an ecological, civilised and modern city embracing the generosity and affection of residents along the Mekong river soon.

“It is an honour that Hung Kings’ Temple is located in the city, so I demand the effective and practical management, maintenance and development of the project. The Hung Kings’ Temple in the South has a sacred connection with its counterpart in the North as a blood flow from North to South and a highlighted centre of the region, establishing the network of historical, cultural and scenic sites for visitors to worship and commemorate.

We have built the Hung Kings’ Temple here not only to honour the Fatherland and express deep gratitude to the previous generations, but also to affirm our comprehensive independence, reliance, and autonomy. It is meaningful when our country has an extensive international integration and fulfils the requirement of “integrating without being dissolved” - he emphasized.

Hung Kings’ Temple in Can Tho City will be officially opened for visitors to come and offer incense from April 07.

Ky Kim Ngoc