Massive crowds flock to the Hùng Kings Temple ahead of the commemoration day. VNA/VNS Photo

PHÚ THỌ — The Hùng Kings Temple historical site in the northern midland province of Phú Thọ welcomed tens of thousands of visitors on March 29-30, more than a week ahead of the Hùng Kings Commemoration Day.

According to the site management board, over 32,000 visitors came to the Hùng Kings Temple, with more than 20,000 arriving on March 30 and 12,000 on March 29.

Many people visited the temple on the weekend before the main event to avoid the peak crowds. Although the site was busy and the weather was unfavourable, the solemn atmosphere remained intact. Phú Thọ province's police deployed about 1,000 officers to maintain security and order.

Colonel Nguyễn Minh Tuấn, Director of the Phú Thọ provincial Department of Public Security, said the force has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security and neighboring provinces to enhance crime prevention. Online surveillance has also been intensified to counter misinformation. Authorities have reviewed and updated traffic signs on roads leading to the Hùng Kings Temple.

The Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day Festival and the Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land for the Year of the Snake opened on March 29, featuring various cultural and sporting activities, including artistic performances, fireworks displays, traditional boat races, bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake) and bánh dày (round glutinous rice cake) making contests, xoan singing, water puppetry, and folk performances.

Worshipping the Hùng Kings is widely practiced in Việt Nam and among Vietnamese communities abroad as a way to maintain and promote their traditional cultural identity. — VNA/VNS