The Worship of the Hùng Kings is a highlight of the Vietnam Cultural Festival held in Osaka, Japan on April 19. Photo courtesy of Lê Thương

Khánh Chi - Chu Văn - Hà Linh

Among the most widely observed national holidays, such as Lunar New Year and National Day, the tenth day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 26 this year, holds particular importance for Vietnamese people as it commemorates the Hùng Kings, the legendary founders of the first Vietnamese state, Văn Lang.

In other words, the Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day has become a sacred symbol in the consciousness of Vietnamese people wherever they are, whether in the homeland or across the globe.

According to folk culture researcher Phạm Bá Khiêm, it is rare for any nation to share a common ancestral anniversary embraced by the entire community.

Travelling from Hiroshima to Osaka to attend the Vietnam Cultural Festival, held on April 19 and featuring a reenactment of the Hùng Kings’ Commemoration, Cao Thanh Định, a Vietnamese resident in Japan, said a 300km journey could not deter him from taking part, given the sacred meaning of the ancestors’ anniversary.

“The sound of the festival drums makes me feel like I’m back home. No matter how far away we live, we always turn our hearts toward our ancestral roots and feel proud to be Vietnamese," he said.

Việt Nam’s Consul General in Osaka, Nguyễn Trường Sơn, emphasised the significance of maintaining the festival over the past nine years.

The Worship of the Hùng Kings, recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012, serves not only as a symbol of the tradition "when drinking water, remember its source", but also as a spiritual bond, connecting Vietnamese people worldwide, according to Sơn.

“The reenactment of the Hùng Kings Commemoration in Japan is clear evidence of the enduring vitality of Vietnamese culture and the solidarity of the overseas Vietnamese community,” said Sơn.

“It also serves as an occasion for the Vietnamese community in Japan to turn their hearts towards their roots, honour the nation-building efforts of the Hùng Kings and strengthen their cultural identity in an international environment.”

The Vietnam Cultural Festival held on April 19 sees the participation by Vietnamese people living outside the Kansai region and even from other countries. Photo courtesy of Lê Thương

According to Head of the Organising Committee and Chairperson of the Vietnamese Community in the Kansai region, Lê Thị Thương, the event holds strong community-bonding value, as it has drawn participation from Vietnamese people living beyond the Kansai region and even from other countries, demonstrating its growing reach.

“Organising the event on Việt Nam’s Cultural Day of Ethnic Groups (April 19) carries special significance. It aims to honour the cultural diversity of the country’s 54 ethnic groups and reaffirm the strength of national solidarity," said Thương.

In this cultural space in Japan, such a spirit becomes even more meaningful, as the Vietnamese community works together to preserve and spread their homeland's heritage.

The Hùng Kings Commemoration rituals were reenacted with full traditional elements at the Vietnam Cultural Festival in Japan. Photo courtesy of Lê Thương

The Hùng Kings Commemoration rituals were reenacted with full traditional elements, including incense offerings, ritual gifts and solemn ceremonies. The festival space was designed with a distinct Vietnamese feel, giving attendees a sense of returning to their homeland.

"It is deeply meaningful to contribute to the promotion of Việt Nam’s image and to share our sacred cultural heritage with the world. The experience was especially moving during the reenactment of the Hùng Kings' Commemoration festival, where the solemn and sacred atmosphere of our homeland was vividly relived right in Japan," the 40-year-old told Việt Nam News.

In 2025, she was honoured to join the high-level Vietnamese Party and State delegation at the Hùng Kings Temple Festival in Phú Thọ Province and was the only overseas Vietnamese invited to the achievement-reporting ceremony.

“It was a truly special moment for me, a profoundly moving experience, a great honour and a moment that filled me with deep pride in my national roots," said Lê Thị Thương, who has been living in Japan for 16 years.

She is also invited this year but unable to attend.

Among the many attendees at the Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada on April 19, Phan Quỳnh Trang, a Vietnamese resident of Toronto, said the event held great significance for the Vietnamese community in Canada.

“It helps people remain connected to their identity and national roots while fostering a deeper understanding of heritage among the younger generation born abroad, even those who may have never visited Việt Nam,” she told Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Canada.

The Hùng Kings’ commemoration is organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada on April 19. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hải

Sharing that sentiment, Chung Vinh, an overseas Vietnamese from Ottawa, said "The primary purpose of the Commemoration Day is for everyone to honour their shared national ancestry".

“Attendees were deeply moved and filled with pride to participate in the event while wearing the traditional Vietnamese áo dài,” said Vinh.

A Vietnamese resident in Toronto, Trần Hòa Phương, said this was an occasion for the community to take further pride in being Vietnamese, as descendants of the Hùng Kings. He also emphasised the clear responsibility of the older generation to pass down the Vietnamese language, customs and cultural heritage to their children and grandchildren.

Beyond the significance of honouring ancestors, the festival serves as an opportunity for local communities and various associations to review their achievements, share initiatives and learn from one another. These efforts are directed towards the common goal of building an increasingly developed, united and strong Vietnamese community, according to Phương.

“Such gatherings provide a platform for groups to exchange ideas and learn from each other, creating a more cohesive effort in promoting the diaspora. This, in turn, allows the community to contribute more actively to Canadian society while asserting the status, intellect and solidarity of the Vietnamese people,” said Trang.

Attending the ceremony alongside the Vietnamese community, Portuguese national Fernando Coelho was visibly moved. He spoke of the historical ties between Việt Nam and Portugal, noting how Portuguese missionaries contributed to the early development of the Vietnamese script.

For Coelho, fully understanding the speeches was secondary to simply feeling the spirit of the event. It was a connection that went beyond language, an experience he said he would cherish for the rest of his life.

Just as those at home in Việt Nam enjoy a public holiday for the Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day, overseas Vietnamese communities have their own ways to mark the occasion. Since 2015, the Vietnam Ancestral Global Day has been held annually on the 10th day of the third lunar month to unite the diaspora and honour the Hùng Kings. These commemorative ceremonies are held both in person across many countries and online, creating a global connection that encourages people to turn towards their roots and spread Vietnamese culture.

According to the official Vietnam Ancestral Global Day Facebook page, this year’s event, beginning at 6pm on April 26, will be livestreamed and shared across social networks in 178 countries and territories. VNS