On the occasion of Hung King's death anniversary - remembering the ancestors of the Southern country

Located on the banks of the Duong River, in the ancient village of A Lu (now Dai Dong Thanh Commune, Thuan Thanh Town, Bac Ninh Province), there is an ancient relic site including a temple and the mausoleum of Kinh Duong Vuong - who is revered as the founder of the Southern country, opening the era of the Hung Kings. This is one of the relics bearing the mark of the first king of Vietnam and the ancient citadel of Luy Lau, but is still little known.

Tomb of Kinh Duong Vuong - the person revered as the ancestor of the Southern country.

In the Vietnamese mind, Kinh Duong Vuong, Lac Long Quan and Au Co are considered the founders of the country, the origin of the nation. And A Lu village is the only place in the country that has a tomb and temple to worship Kinh Duong Vuong, Lac Long Quan and Au Co.

Back to the roots

We returned to A Lu on a drizzly day when there were less than 24 hours left until the Hung Kings' death anniversary. The quiet, solemn atmosphere at Kinh Duong Vuong Mausoleum seemed to become more bustling when a group of children from Dai Dong Thanh 2 Kindergarten came to visit the mausoleum and take graduation photos.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Hoa, a teacher at the school, shared: This September, the children will enter first grade, so the school and parents took the children to Lang Kinh Duong Vuong - the person revered as the founder of the Southern country - to offer incense. The spacious space with lots of shade from the trees and the historical and cultural significance of the relic site on the homeland is an ideal place for the children to capture meaningful moments.

With its historical and cultural significance, Kinh Duong Vuong Mausoleum is chosen by many schools in Bac Ninh province to organize traditional learning andeducational activities.

According to historical legends and ancient documents and books, in 2,879 BC, Kinh Duong Vuong ascended the throne and established the Xich Quy state (name of a bright red star in the southern sky in the Milky Way) - the first independent, sovereign, primitive state of our nation.

Kinh Duong Vuong established his headquarters in Luy Lau, Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh province today, then moved the capital to Viet Tri, Phu Tho and built the citadel.

Kinh Duong Vuong married Than Long, gave birth to Sung Lam (succeeded his father, called Lac Long Quan). Lac Long Quan married Au Co, opened the Hung King era, ruled the country for 18 generations...

The relic site of Kinh Duong Vuong's Mausoleum and Temple worships Stem The Vietnamese people have long considered this place the most sacred place by feudal dynasties, classified as a temple to worship the Emperor.

The relic complex was built a long time ago on high ground on the south bank of the Duong River. In the 21st year of Minh Mang (1,840), it was restored and a stele was placed.

Through the ups and downs of time, the extremely valuable thing about the relic complex is that it still preserves a treasure trove of tangible and intangible cultural heritage such as: genealogy, royal decrees, stone steles, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, beliefs, and festivals.

Woodblock carving of the ancestor Kinh Duong Vuong.

Currently, the complex of Kinh Duong Vuong Mausoleum and Temple still retains ancient vestiges with steles, tombs, horizontal lacquered boards, and parallel sentences: "Nam Bang Thuy To" (Ancestor of the Southern country), "Nam To Mieu" (Temple to worship the Ancestor of the Southern country), "Bach Viet To" (Ancestor King of the Southern country)... Especially, there are 15 royal decrees of the dynasties conferring the titles of the people worshiped as Kinh Duong Vuong, Lac Long Quan and Au Co with different years.

With its great historical and cultural values, Kinh Duong Vuong Mausoleum and Temple Relic Site was recognized as a national historical and cultural relic in 1993.

Return to the ancestors, seek the lineage

According to legend and ancient documents, Kinh Duong Vuong passed away on January 18 in Khuc Khang, Vu Ninh district (present-day Bac Ninh).

Local people took the death anniversary of the King to organize the festival (from January 16 to 18).

Every year, the people and local authorities solemnly organize the Kinh Duong Vuong festival. In addition to praying for national peace, people's peace, favorable weather, and a peaceful and prosperous country, the festival also shows national pride, preserves the morality of "remembering the source of water" and looks back to the origins of the Lac and Hong descendants throughout the country.

In the ancient Kinh Bac region, there is still a saying:

“Remember January eighteenth

The death anniversary of the sacred ancestor of our country

No matter who goes near or far

"To return to worship ancestors is a worthy son's duty."

Every year, Kinh Duong Vuong festival is solemnly organized by local authorities.

According to Chairman of Thuan Thanh Town People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong: Returning to ask for ancestors, reaching the ancestors is returning to the call of ancestors, the sacred soul of the mountains and rivers, the eternal aspiration of the children of Vietnam, expressing the traditional cultural identity, the noble morality of the Vietnamese people "when drinking water, remember its source".

Offering incense to commemorate Kinh Duong Vuong on the occasion of the death anniversary of the First Ancestor is an opportunity for generations of descendants to remember and show gratitude to the person who had the merit of founding the country. At the same time, it is to respectfully inform our ancestors about the achievements that generations of Lac and Hong descendants have achieved together, united, strived to overcome all hardships and challenges, maintained independence, national sovereignty, and built the homeland and country to become increasingly rich, beautiful, and civilized.

Palanquin procession at Kinh Duong Vuong festival in 2024.

Mr. Ngo Duc Lo, the caretaker of Kinh Duong Vuong Temple, said: During the period of 1949-1952, the French invaders came to A Lu village, set up a military post here, and destroyed the temple, communal house, and pagoda, but the villagers managed to preserve some valuable ancient worship objects such as thrones, palanquins, royal decrees, etc. of the temple and communal house.

After many renovations, in 2000, a communal temple to worship the ancestors was restored in the traditional style. During January, especially during the festival days, the relic complex welcomes tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists.

The rest of the year, the number of visitors is less. Many people still choose to offer incense at the temple complex and Kinh Duong Vuong Tomb before making a pilgrimage to Hung Temple, Phu Tho.

Kinh Duong Vuong Temple and Tomb is a national historical and cultural relic complex with cultural and spiritual values for the people in the region in particular and the people of the whole country in general.

Previously, the road to the relic complex was difficult when you had to take a boat across the river or go from Thuan Thanh direction. From October 2023, the road to the relic complex is extremely convenient when Bac Ninh province inaugurated Kinh Duong Vuong bridge connecting historical relic sites in the area south of Duong river such as: Kinh Duong Vuong mausoleum, Dau pagoda, But Thap pagoda, Luy Lau ancient citadel... with relics north of Duong river such as Phat Tich pagoda, Do temple, Dinh Bang communal house, Tieu pagoda...

Watch the sunset from Kinh Duong Vuong Tomb.

Currently, many young people who love nature have chosen the Kinh Duong Vuong Tomb area as a camping and sunset viewing spot. However, to exploit the historical and cultural values associated with the relic complex, it has not yet been widely disseminated and properly cared for. The relic complex bearing the mark of the founding father of the nation on the ancient Thien Duc river still stands there, quietly witnessing the ups and downs of history.

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