In his story, Mr. Khoi recounted the concerns and anxieties of the members of the Steering Committee for compiling the dossier that year. “The geopolitical, historical, and cultural differences between the countries and nations worried every member of the Steering Committee. I, along with other researchers, visited countries with similarities to Vietnam in ancestor worship culture, such as China, South Korea, and Japan, to study, compare, evaluate, and strengthen our arguments,” Mr. Khoi shared.
Thanks to the determination of the provincial leaders, the responsibility and dedication of the scientists, the involvement of all levels and sectors, and the consensus and support of the people, the collective has built a rigorous, in-depth, and highly persuasive scientific dossier for international experts. The dossier on the Hung Kings worshiping belief in Phu Tho not only meets all five criteria of a world intangible cultural heritage as stipulated in the 2003 Convention, but is also highly appreciated by international experts. Most notably, it highlights the value: "The registration of the Hung Kings worshiping belief contributes to identifying forms of ancestor worship practiced in many other countries and encourages communities to recognize similarities, while simultaneously enhancing respect for cultural diversity."
The communes and wards surrounding Hung Mountain carry palanquins to Hung Temple.
On the eve of the conference, Comrade Hoang Dan Mac - former Secretary of the Phu Tho Provincial Party Committee (then Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee) affirmed in a press interview: "This is a decision of immense historical, cultural, and spiritual significance because the Hung Kings worship belief, for thousands of years, has been a sacred belief, a strength that unites the community, and a spiritual anchor for the Vietnamese nation to overcome all the difficulties and challenges of history to survive and develop."
Over the past 12 years, the promise to preserve and promote the value of the heritage, ensuring its enduring existence and its status as a representative cultural heritage of humanity—a promise made by successive generations of provincial leaders on behalf of the community and the nation to honor their ancestors and to the international community—has been seriously implemented. Besides investing in, building, and renovating infrastructure to facilitate pilgrimages to the ancestral roots while preserving the sacred worship spaces of the Hung Kings, provincial leaders throughout history have also consistently provided favorable conditions and implemented various policies to support the preservation of the belief: investing in research and collection of legends, rituals, and folk performances related to the Hung Kings worship through scientific studies; conducting the annual Hung Kings Commemoration Ceremony with solemnity and reverence; and encouraging people in localities with relics dedicated to the Hung Kings and other figures from the Hung Kings era to voluntarily organize ceremonies and offer incense in gratitude. The community is highly regarded as the creative subject, playing a core role in preserving, protecting, and promoting heritage values. Currently, the province has 345 relics dedicated to the worship of Hung Kings and other figures from the Hung King era.
In the education of young generations, 100% of primary, secondary, and high schools in the province actively implement the "Schools Connected with Heritage" model. Along with Xoan singing, the Hung Kings worshiping tradition has been included in the province's local education program under the new general education curriculum since the 2021-2022 school year. Lessons help students understand the importance of their homeland's heritage and apply their knowledge to protect these precious cultural values.
The project to renovate and upgrade the infrastructure of the Hung Temple Historical Relic Site (2021-2023), with a total investment of 300 billion VND, is being implemented with many components that also contribute to preserving the natural landscape and ecological environment of the relic site, serving people from both inside and outside the country who come to visit and pay respects to their ancestors.
Like many other intangible cultural heritages, the Hung Kings worship belief – a social custom, ritual, and festival that has existed for thousands of years – inevitably faces challenges in the face of modern societal development. However, the people of Phu Tho in particular, and the Vietnamese people in general, with the legend of brothers born from the same parents from a hundred eggs, pledge to unite and work together to preserve, protect, and promote the value of the Hung Kings worship belief, befitting its status as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
![[Photo] Prime Minister Le Minh Hung presides over the thematic session on promoting science and technology development and innovation.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/23/1782207872934_ndo_br_dsc-1724-jpg.webp)
