Commemorating the Legacies of Prince Lang Lieu — Spreading Traditional Cultural Values

Within the ancient and solemn ambiance of Duu Lau Communal House in Viet Tri Ward, a remarkable cultural event recently unfolded: "The Incense Offering Ceremony in Commemoration of Prince Lang Lieu’s Legacies." This marks the inaugural year that the memorial day of the Vietnamese Culinary Patron Saint has been organized on a grand scale following the provincial consolidation milestone, gathering hundreds of chefs, artisans, enterprises, and culinary culture practitioners from every corner of the country.

Chefs offer meticulously arranged trays to express their profound gratitude to the Patron Saint of Vietnamese Cuisine — Prince Lang Lieu (Hung Chieu Vuong).

This sacred pilgrimage back to the Ancestral Land is not merely an itinerary for generations of practitioners to pay deep homage to the Patron Saint of Vietnamese Cuisine — Prince Lang Lieu (Hung Chieu Vuong) — but also a powerful catalyst to promote and broadcast the essence of national food culture from tradition to modernity. From the break of dawn, the courtyard of Duu Lau Communal House was washed in the traditional white uniforms worn by chef delegations arriving from the Northern, Central, and Southern regions. Immersed in drifting clouds of fragrant agarwood incense and an atmosphere charged with both solemnity and profound emotion, meticulously curated offering trays were reverently presented before the main sanctuary.

These sacrificial trays vividly mirrored the unique cultural identities of diverse regions. They ranged from traditional delicacies native to the Ancestral Land—such as multi-spurred roosters, five-color sticky rice, and smoked wild boar—to renowned specialties from across the nation, including West Lake shrimp cakes, Hanoi green rice cakes, Quang Ninh squid patties, Hai Duong mung bean cakes, heirloom beef noodle, Northwest bamboo-tube sticky rice, Moc Chau yogurt, roasted suckling pig, and lobsters. Each dish and product offered upon the altar carried the utmost reverence and deep affection of Vietnamese descendants from across the country turning their hearts toward their roots.

In the historical currents and spiritual consciousness of the Vietnamese people, Prince Lang Lieu is far more than a legendary figure from the Hung King era; he has been formally honored as the "Patron Saint of Vietnamese Cuisine — The Founder of Vietnamese Culinary Culture." Grounded upon his story of filial piety and humility—using the homeland’s humble rice grains to craft the square banh chung representing the tolerance of Mother Earth and the round banh giay symbolizing the embracing embrace of Heaven—he laid the foundation for a culinary philosophy deeply intertwined with family, roots, and national identity. Spanning thousands of years of history, the bamboo ties binding compatriot solidarity and the layers of green dong leaves wrapping fraternal affection within these traditional cakes remain unique symbols of humanity, reminding future generations of the moral code: "When drinking water, remember its source."

Local elders offer incense to commemorate and pay tribute to the immense merits of Prince Lang Lieu — Hung Chieu Vuong.

A standout and deeply moving highlight of the ceremony was the presence of chef delegations who traveled thousands of miles from the South to return home. According to Mr. Tran Nhat Truong, Vice President of the An Giang Province Chefs Association, for those in the culinary industry, this incense offering journey is not a mere professional ritual, but a sacred window to look back at the cultural roots of their lifelong pursuit. Coming to the Ancestral Land this time, alongside flowers, incense, banh chung, and banh giay required by traditional rites, the unique signature on An Giang’s offering tray lay in delicacies carrying the distinct flavors of the Mekong Delta. The delegation meticulously prepared eye-catching fruit baskets artistically shaped from local products, such as “crispy dried basa fish skin” proudly displayed beneath a traditional conical hat. The presentation of these local products symbolized a formal report of their labor fruits, illustrating the exquisite crossover of regional culinary arts and the unshakeable loyalty of Southern descendants toward the Ancestral Land.

Beyond capturing the interest of industry professionals, the incense offering ceremony magnetically attracted numerous cross-regional travelers. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Minh, a visitor from Hanoi, delightedly shared: "I am genuinely astonished by the grand scale and solemnity of this ceremony. Witnessing the elite offering trays from all three regions firsthand makes me incredibly proud of our country’s rich culinary landscape. The tale of Prince Lang Lieu’s banh chung and banh giay has been familiar since childhood, but within this space, experiencing the traditional rituals firsthand allows me to deeply comprehend the yin-yang philosophy and the ancestral filial piety passed down through generations."

Sacrificial offerings dedicated to Prince Lang Lieu are beautifully and artistically decorated by artisans.

During the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Biet—Vice Chairman of the Viet Tri Ward People’s Committee—delivered a speech emphasizing and reaffirming the immense merits of the predecessor. In the celebratory oration, he recounted the ancient era when the King Father held a convention to pass down the throne. While other princes raced to scour for rare and exotic treasures from afar, Prince Lang Lieu uniquely chose the homeland’s humble rice grain as his foundation and filial piety as his core, glorifying the realm and securing peace and prosperity for the nation. The Party, local government, and people of Viet Tri Ward will unite as one, joining hands to build a wealthy and beautiful homeland, fiercely determined to preserve the heritage currents and conserve the sacred temple dedicated to Prince Lang Lieu for eternity.

As the incense offering ceremony drew to a close, delegates, the chef community, and local citizens reverently offered incense and prayers, wishing for favorable weather, national peace, bountiful harvests, and overarching public happiness. The event did not merely honor historical values and solidify professional pride; it stood as a powerful covenant by Vietnam’s culinary, chef, and tourism communities to dedicate their minds and souls to conserving, expanding, and elevating the essence of Vietnamese cuisine. From the Great Figure’s humble rice grain of the ancient past, Vietnamese cuisine today continuously reaches out to the world, connecting millions of hearts and illuminating the thousands-of-years-old cultural beauty of the nation.

Huong Lan