HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and numerous Party and State leaders offered incense to commemorate the Hùng Kings at Kính Thiên palace of the Hùng Temple historical relic site in northern Phú Thọ Province today, or the tenth day of the third lunar month. 

They prayed for peace and prosperity for the homeland while pledging to work together to protect the country and build a thriving nation. 
The Hùng Kings founded the first nation in the history of Việt Nam, called Văn Lang, in Phong Châu, now Phú Thọ Province. 
Ruling the country through 18 generations (2879–258 BC), the Hùng Kings taught locals how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities. 
To honour their history, a complex of temples was built on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as the national anniversary for the kings. 
Rituals worshipping the Hùng Kings were recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity in 2012. 
Later, the leaders offered incense at Giếng Temple where the nation’s legendary founder Lạc Long Quân is worshipped. 
On the same day, leaders and former leaders of Hồ Chí Minh City participated in a ceremony in commemoration of the Hùng Kings at a memorial to them at the Ethnic Cultural and Historical Park in District 9. 
On this occasion, many tourism sites, Hùng Kings temples and schools named after the Hùng Kings in the locality, also organised cultural activities and art performances to commemorate the contributions of the kings to the nation. — VNS