The Vietnamese community in Thailand’s Udon Thani province gathered at Khanh An Pagoda on April 21 (the 10th day of the third lunar month) to mark the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, Vietnam’s legendary founders.
Those in attendance included Vietnamese Consul General to Khon Kaen Hoàng Ngọc Sơn, members of the Executive Board of the Vietnamese Association in Udon Thani, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the locality.
Addressing the ceremony, Sơn said the worship of ancestors is a traditional cultural trait of Vietnamese people, and the death anniversary of the Hung Kings is an important occasion for the country.
He underlined that marking the anniversary not only reflects the respect for ancestors and gratitude towards the country’s founders but also educates Vietnamese people on the tradition of remembering their origins while encouraging Vietnamese people abroad to unite and head to the homeland.
The diplomat lauded the efforts of the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani in organising the event, where COVID-19 prevention and control measures were strictly implemented.
The ritual of worshipping the Hung Kings was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
The event has been held annually at Khanh An Pagoda, where a statue of a Hung King is placed, since 2019./.
