On April 25 and 26, 75 overseas Vietnamese from 23 countries visited Phu Tho to attend the 2023 Hung Kings Commemoration.

"I was touched when I listened to the introduction about the origin of the nation and burned incense at the Lower Temple, the Middle Temple, and the Upper Temple. The incense offering ceremony brought a lot of emotions. I am proud to be a descendant of King Hung”, said Phan Bich Thien, Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese in Hungary.

Attended the Hung Kings Commemoration for the first time in her life, Thien said she would have many stories to tell her friends and family in Hungary after the trip.

Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, a Viet expat in Singapore, has fulfilled her wish to return home to pay tribute to King Hung. "The trip gives me the opportunity to connect with my homeland and understand more about the history and cultural traditions of the nation. Thereby, I can educate my children to be more proud of the country."

According to Vu Anh Dung, a Vietnamese in Czech, not many countries worship their ancestors the way Vietnam does. Visiting Hung Kings' temple at this time of the year is an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to learn more about the Hung Kings worshiping culture, which was honored by UNESCO as an intangible heritage.

Dung and the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic put much effort into introducing Vietnamese cultural traditions to their international friends. They teach their children about the homeland's history and culture, thereby nurturing and fostering patriotism.

Born in Thailand, Luong Xuan Hoa is always proud of his Vietnamese origin. The Vietnamese Association of Udon Thani (Thailand) organizes annual Hung Kings Anniversary, where people can come to offer incense in memory of the Hung Kings. The event is the most practical lesson to apprise patriotism for the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani, said Hoa.

Nguyen Trung Hieu, who lives in Qatar, visited to the Hung Temple relic twice in the last 30 years. "30 years ago, the Hung Temple relic is narrower and less beautiful. The festival now is better organized. This summer I plan to bring my children to Vietnam. We will go to Hung Temple so that they have a better understanding of the country and be more proud of their Vietnamese origin," said Hieu.

Dang Thu Ha visits the Hung temple every time she returns to Vietnam, yet this is her first time entering the Lang Suong temple, which worships Son Tinh - the saint of Tan Vien Mountain. Son Tinh is an important figure in Vietnamese folk of the "four immortals."

“I was very impressed to learn interesting stories about Son Tinh, who married Hung King's daughter and defeated the country's enemy. I hope that the stories about King Hung and his descendants will be spread to the overseas Vietnamese and the young generation so that we won't forget our roots and tradition," said Thu Ha.

[Photo Series] Expats Enjoy A Day With The Hung Kings Follow expats Joe Crook and Glen MacDonald as they climb Nghia Linh mountain (Phu Tho Province) to seek out the Hung Kings, Vietnam's ancient rulers.

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