This year’s Hung festival, one of the national ceremonies in commemoration of the country’s first kings who founded the country, has attracted over three million tourists by Apr 18.

The number is likely to soar on Apr 19, the main day of the festival, which falls on the 10th day of the third month of the lunar calendar. 

According to the management board of the Hung Temples Relic in northern Phu Tho province’s Viet Tri city, the offerings to the kings, the main part of the festival, is taking place today.

More than 1,400 Hung kings temples nationwide will also hold the offerings today.

A sampan race, joined by 180 local oarsmen, took place yesterday as part of the festival at Viet Tri city.

A wide range of other activities were also held at the Hung temples and Viet Tri city, including processions and offerings to the legendary Lac Long Quan and Au Co, believed to give birth to 50 sons, including the Hung Kings’, and 50 daughters in a pouch, banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) and banh day (round glutinous rice cake) making competition and folk music performances.

The reigns of 18 Hung Kings’ lasted from around 2,000 BC to 258 BC.

Hung Kings Temple Festival, also known as Hung Kings’ Death Anniversary, has become a national grand ceremony since 2000 to commemorate and recognize the Kings’ contribution in founding the country. It is a public holiday in Vietnam.

The ceremony is held by central agencies in even years while Phu Tho province is in charge of the ceremony organization in odd years.