Ho Chi Minh City officials offer incense to Hung Kings at the National Historial and Cultural Park in the city on January 18. (Photo: VNA)

This is one of the traditional activities held in HCM City every Tet festival, aiming to honour traditional cultural values as well as the great contributions of the Hung Kings, who ruled Vietnam from 2879 BC until 258 BC and are considered the founders of the nation.

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa (third from left) on January 18 gives Tet presents to workers in the northern province of Phu Tho. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa on January 18 led a delegation to visit and extend new year wishes to poor households and disadvantaged workers in the northern province of Phu Tho.

In Phu Tho town, Nghĩa and the delegation gave 200 gifts to poor households and workers. They also visited and presented gifts to wounded and sick soldiers who are treated at the province’s nursing centre for people with meritorious services.

On this occasion, they offered incense at the Mother Au Co Temple in Hien Luong commune, the province’s Ha Hoa district.

Legend has it that Au Co, who was a fairy, descended to the earth on the seventh day of the first lunar month. She met with Lac Long Quan and gave birth to 100 sons.

Fifty of them followed their father to the sea and the other 50 followed their mother to the mountains in the upstream of the Red River.

When they arrived in the area which is now Hien Luong commune, Au Co and her children were so captivated by the area’s stunning landscapes that they decided to settle there, and this was where the eldest son was crowned as Hung King – the legendary founder of Vietnam./.

Source: en.vietnamplus.vn