The journey to become an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

On December 6, 2012, in Paris (France), the 7th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Hung King Worship in Phu Tho was named in front of nearly 200 countries and international organizations, receiving absolute consensus and becoming a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It is the result of solidarity, collective intellectual strength and unanimity to bring the sacred beliefs of the nation to the world .

Mr. Nguyen Tien Khoi - former Director of Hung Temple Historical Relic Site (2005 - 2011), currently Chairman of the Provincial Historical Science Association, has many years of research on Hung King Worship.

As a person who is deeply attached to his homeland and devoted to historical research, Mr. Nguyen Tien Khoi - Former Director of Hung Temple Historical Site (2005 - 2011) still clearly remembers the events in that glorious process. The wish to nominate the Hung King worship in Phu Tho to become a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity is the strong determination of the leaders and people of Phu Tho province. After many research projects and seminars, going through a rigorous, elaborate and careful selection process, the Hung King worship belongs to the category of intangible cultural heritage - social customs and was submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Prime Minister for permission to submit the dossier in March 2011.

During the process of making the dossier, even after nominating the Hung King Worship Belief, there were still some concerns about the changes of this custom in contemporary life. However, Phu Tho province and scholars have clarified the history of the heritage and proven that our country from the 13th - 14th centuries (Ly - Tran dynasties), especially the Nguyen Dynasty (19th - 20th centuries) has made an important contribution to the preservation and maintenance of a number of sacred customs associated with the legends about the origin and ancestors of the Vietnamese people.

Millions of people made a pilgrimage to Hung Temple on the occasion of the Hung Kings' death anniversary on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month of the year of the Goat.

In his story, Mr. Khoi recalled the concerns and worries of the comrades in the Steering Committee for the construction of the dossier that year. “The differences in geopolitics , history and culture between countries and ethnic groups are what make all members of the Steering Committee worried. I, along with researchers, went to countries with similarities to Vietnam in ancestor worship culture such as China, Korea, and Japan to learn, compare, evaluate, and consolidate convincing arguments” - Mr. Khoi shared.

With the determination of the provincial leaders, the responsibility and enthusiasm of scientists, the participation of all levels and sectors, and the consensus and response of the people, the collective has built a scientific dossier that is rigorous, profound, and highly convincing to international experts. The dossier on Hung King worship in Phu Tho not only meets all 5 criteria of a world intangible cultural heritage stipulated in the 2003 Convention, but is also highly appreciated by international experts. The most typical value is: "The registration of Hung King worship contributes to the identification of forms of ancestor worship that are being practiced in many other countries and encourages communities to recognize similarities, while enhancing respect for cultural diversity".

Communes and wards in the area near Hung Mountain carry the palanquin to Hung Temple.

On the sidelines of the conference, Comrade Hoang Dan Mac - Former Secretary of Phu Tho Provincial Party Committee (then Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee) affirmed in an interview with the press: "This is a decision of great historical, cultural and spiritual significance because the Hung King worship belief has been a sacred belief for thousands of years, a strength to unite the community, a spiritual support for the Vietnamese people to overcome all 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, so that the heritage will last forever, worthy of being a representative cultural heritage of humanity, which generations of provincial leaders on behalf of the community and the country expressed gratitude to their ancestors and committed to the international community, has been and is being seriously implemented. In addition to paying attention to investing, building and renovating facilities to facilitate people and tourists to make pilgrimages to their roots while still preserving the sacred worship space of the Hung Kings, provincial leaders through the periods have always created favorable conditions with many policies to support the preservation of beliefs: Investing, researching, collecting legends, rituals, and folk performances related to the Hung King worship through scientific topics; the annual Hung King Commemoration Ceremony is conducted solemnly and respectfully; people in localities with relics worshiping the Hung Kings and figures of the Hung King period voluntarily organize ceremonies and offer incense in gratitude. The community is promoted as a creative entity, playing a core role in preserving, maintaining and promoting heritage values. Currently, the province has 345 relics worshiping Hung Kings and figures from the Hung King period.

In the education of the younger generation, 100% of primary, secondary and high schools in the province actively implement the model of "Schools associated with heritage". Along with Xoan singing, the Hung King worship has been compiled and included in the province's local education program according to the new general education program from the 2021 - 2022 school year. The lessons help students realize the importance of their homeland's heritage, and know how to apply the knowledge they have learned to join hands in protecting those precious cultural values.

The project to renovate and embellish the infrastructure of the Hung Temple Historical Relic Site (phase 2021-2023) with a total investment of 300 billion VND has been implemented with many items, contributing to preserving the natural landscape and ecological environment of the Relic Site, serving compatriots and people at home and abroad to visit and offer incense to show gratitude to their ancestors.

Like many other intangible cultural heritages, the Hung King Worship Religion - a social practice, ritual, and festival that has existed for thousands of years cannot avoid challenges in the face of the development of modern society. However, the people of Phu Tho in particular and the Vietnamese people in general, with the legend of brothers from the same parents, born from a hundred eggs, vow to unite and join hands to preserve, conserve, and promote the value of the Hung King Worship Religion worthy of the status of a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Thuy Trang

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