March brings a return to Nghia Linh.

Phu Tho province is urgently completing preparations for this year's Hung Temple Festival, with the participation of many forces and units, and the joint efforts of 18 commune clusters throughout the province, aiming for a solemn, safe, and culturally rich festival season.

Getting ready for the opening day of the festival.

Despite the unusually hot weather in recent days, preparations for the festival at the Hung Temple historical site (Hy Cuong commune) remain urgent and vibrant. Hundreds of officials and staff from the site have been mobilized to beautify the landscape and clean the entire Nghia Linh mountain complex.

The scene became even more lively thanks to the joint efforts of nearly 300 young people from the Phu Tho Province Association for the Love of Trash and volunteers from Hanoi , Hai Phong, and Hung Yen, who cleaned up trash and planted 500 new trees along the road leading to the Au Co Mother Goddess Temple.

Currently, additional trash cans, restrooms, ceremonial routes, and stall areas have been installed in the temple areas, on the steps leading up to the temple, along the walkways, on the ceremonial axis, and where stalls are located.

All temples have set up medical checkpoints and will assign doctors and nurses with sufficient supplies of medicine, maintaining a duty roster throughout the 10 days of the festival, along with ambulances and specialized equipment at key points at the foot of the mountain.

During the holidays, a large number of people and tourists flock to the Hung Temple Festival.

The historical site has also installed over 300 billboards, hung more than 1,000 festival flags and red banners, and numerous QR code scanners for festival information. Parking signs are located at all entrances to the site. In areas with large crowds, hotlines for emergency assistance, security, and lost and found services are posted.

At the Hung Vuong Museum area, the courtyard has been newly paved and looks much more presentable; the guest house is undergoing final preparations. The campsite near the ceremonial grounds is bustling as 18 clusters of communes from the three former provinces of Phu Tho , Vinh Phuc, and Hoa Binh are busily setting up camps and installing equipment, ready to bring a vibrant cultural space.

Comrade Nguyen Huy Ngoc - Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee for the Hung Kings Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival and the Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week in the year of the Horse 2026 - emphasized when directing the preparation for the Hung Temple Festival in 2026: All camps must ensure aesthetics and solid structure for reuse the following year, and after each festival they will be handed over to the historical site for continued exploitation to serve tourism.

The area around the historical site has been enhanced with the planting of hundreds of kapok trees and thousands of other green plants. Along both sides of the ceremonial axis, newly planted rows of sunflowers have begun to bloom, creating an attractive highlight for visitors, especially young people, to "check-in". This area is associated with the camp and continuous art performances throughout the 10 days of the festival, promising a vibrant experience.

Exciting activities leading up to the festival opening day.

Over the past few days, many activities related to the Hung Temple Festival 2026 have been taking place vibrantly in Viet Tri and the historical site. Beginning with the incense offering ceremony to commemorate the Hung Kings, many communes and wards such as Dong Thanh, Luong Son, Hoa Binh, Thuong Coc, Tan Hoa... Before the sacred spirits of the Hung Kings, leaders of various units reported on the socio-economic results of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, especially the implementation of the two-tiered local government model; the organization of elections for National Assembly and People's Council representatives at all levels; and pledged unity to successfully fulfill the political tasks set forth, striving to build an increasingly prosperous homeland.

Kicking off the series of exciting cultural and sporting events is the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup National Cycling Race with the theme "One Nation, One Race" (Stage 1 took place on the morning of April 3rd at Van Lang Park, former Viet Tri City, the final stage will conclude on April 30th after crossing Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City).

Next up is the Hung Temple Marathon, with over 4000 participants and a vibrant atmosphere under the theme "Returning to the Roots". According to the plan, the Hung Vuong Golf Cup will take place on April 11th with the theme "The Spirit of Van Lang" and will feature 600 golfers.

It seems that the Hung Temple Festival has truly built a strong brand, with many attractive activities, by leveraging the unique cultural heritage of the entire country.

The "Back to the Roots" race was successfully organized, leaving a lasting impression on the athletes about a hospitable and peaceful Phu Tho. Photo: Contributor

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, all commune clusters are now ready to bring their unique artistic programs and characteristic products to the festival. This is the first time that dozens of communes have sent representatives to participate in this major national festival.

Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to experience and enjoy more of the gong and drum performances of the ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh province, brought to the festival for the first time. Young men from Co Tich village (Hy Cuong commune) are actively practicing the palanquin procession; artisans from the ancient Xoan village (Van Phu commune) are also busy practicing, promising to bring unique performances of heritage art to the festival.

In particular, a meticulously prepared street folk festival and high-altitude fireworks display are ready to welcome visitors from all over to Viet Tri.

Environmental sanitation efforts aimed at ensuring a green, clean, and beautiful landscape around Hung Temple for the opening ceremony are being intensified and implemented comprehensively and effectively by the Management Board of the Historical Site.

Speaking with reporters, Comrade Pham Tien Dat, Director of the Hung Temple Historical Relic Site, said that preparations are progressing on schedule, with many tasks already completed, ready for a solemn, safe, effective, and economical festival.

The provincial police have conducted thorough surveys and developed traffic management plans to ensure security and order, utilizing a command and control center and surveillance cameras. In the core area of ​​the historical site, a team of electric vehicles has also been prepared to provide safe and friendly transportation for visitors.

The campsite will feature many attractive, new, and vibrant activities, and especially diverse and abundant products from remote villages and ethnic minority communities, thanks to the inclusion of the former Hoa Binh province.

Strengthening the planting of additional trees and beautifying the grounds of the Historical Site aims to build a green, clean, and beautiful Hung Temple in the hearts of visitors from near and far.

The festival season was meticulously and systematically prepared, and despite being organized on a provincial scale, it still exuded a grand atmosphere, reflecting the potential and new momentum after the merger.

Prior to the Lunar New Year, Phu Tho province held numerous meetings, assigning specific tasks, with particular emphasis on organizing the Ancestor Commemoration Day to ensure it was solemn, safe, and economical.

The establishment of the Press Center and the orientation of journalists to become "cultural and tourism ambassadors" demonstrates the determination to promote the image of the homeland and people of the Ancestral Land to friends both domestically and internationally.

Because the Hung Kings Commemoration Day is not only a particularly important cultural and political event for the nation, but also an occasion to honor national identity, foster the principle of "drinking water, remembering the source," and strengthen national unity.

Visiting Nghia Linh in March is not just a sightseeing trip, but also a return to sacred roots. In that sacred space, every Vietnamese person feels their soul purified, and their pride and love for their homeland and country are further nurtured.

The Hung Temple Festival thus remains a spiritual anchor, a connecting thread for the Vietnamese community, uniting them in their roots and guiding them forward on their journey of development.

Quoc Tung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/thang-ba-tim-ve-nghia-linh-251550.htm