Revitalizing Heritage Values in the Ancestral Land

With a strategic cultural vision, from the very early days of national independence, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 65/SL on November 23, 1945, regarding the protection of tangible heritage. He declared: "Preserve historical monuments throughout the territory of Vietnam." Deeply engraving Uncle Ho’s teachings, over the past years, Phu Tho Province—the ancestral land of our roots—has made relentless efforts to preserve and promote its cultural heritage values.

Phu Tho Xoan Singing is performed, spreading the values of the heritage to local citizens as well as domestic and international tourists.

Implementing his philosophy on culture, our Party and State have built an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity, founded upon the sustainable preservation and promotion of national heritage values. A legal framework to protect heritage has been scientifically established and globally integrated. Notably, November 23 is designated as “Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day” annually to uphold traditions and elevate social responsibility in safeguarding national heritage.

On September 19, 1954, at the Gieng Temple within the Hung Kings' Temple Historical Relic Site, speaking with cadres and soldiers of the Vanguard Corps (now the 308th Division) on their march to take over Hanoi Capital, President Ho Chi Minh stated: "The Hung Kings have cleared the wilderness and founded the nation; you and I must defend it together." To this day, that historic injunction continues to inspire the aspiration to build a prosperous and happy nation, recalling and honoring the sacred traditional cultural values that forge the soul of the Vietnamese nation.

For Phu Tho, a land of “sacred geography and extraordinary people” (địa linh nhân kiệt) where the Van Lang State originated, this responsibility becomes even more sacred. Following administrative mergers, the province has evolved into a “living museum” of national history and culture. Statistics reveal that Phu Tho now hosts 2,778 relic sites, including 980 ranked sites with 6 Special National Relics. Regarding intangible heritage, the province boasts nearly 2,000 elements, highlighted by 5 heritages inscribed by UNESCO.

Within this massive heritage system, the Belief in Hung Kings Worship holds the epicenter, serving as a sacred symbol that binds the community together. Inscribed by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012, this heritage has received targeted investments for restoration at the Hung Kings' Temple Historical Relic Site. Annually, the Hung Kings' Temple Festival is organized on a national scale, harmonizing traditional and modern elements.

This event has become a unique spiritual rendezvous, awakening national pride and attracting millions of domestic and international pilgrims. The Hung Kings' Temple Festival is widely regarded as a model festival nationwide, illuminating the golden pages of national history.

Blending into the stream of people visiting the Hung Kings' Temple during the Ancestral Anniversary in the Year of the Horse 2026, Ms. Bui Thi Mo from Kim Boi shared: "Every year, my family and I return to the Hung Kings' Temple to offer incense. However, this year the festival atmosphere feels noticeably more vibrant following the merger of the three provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, and Hoa Binh. The landscape from the foot of the mountain up to the Upper Temple is meticulously maintained, clean, and neatly planned, making it very convenient for us to move around while feeling the deep solemnity and reverence for our ancestral traditions and culture."

Alongside the Belief in Hung Kings Worship, Phu Tho Xoan Singing stands out as a remarkable achievement in preservation. From the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2011, Xoan Singing was successfully transferred to the Representative List of Humanity in 2017. The province has enacted numerous policies to support original Xoan guilds , restore performance spaces, and organize community transmission. Furthermore, Phu Tho serves as a vibrant cradle for other heritages, such as Ca tru singing, tug-of-war rituals and games, and the practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms.

A large number of citizens and tourists participate in the Hung Kings' Temple Festival in the Year of the Horse 2026.

Sharing insights into consultancy and management work, Deputy Head of the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau (Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism) Pham Viet Nga noted that the province places heavy emphasis on executing specific mechanisms and policies in the cultural heritage sector. The province has issued support mechanisms for investing in relic restoration and regulations on allowances for relic caretakers.

Particularly, the model of “Socializing Xoan Singing Preservation” is recognized as a nationwide benchmark in mobilizing resources from enterprises and the public. Efforts to inventory and digitize heritage documentations are also accelerated to serve education and tourism development.

However, challenges remain in preserving and unlocking the values of cultural heritages and relics. In the coming time, the province will continue to review and compile dossiers to request competent authorities to recognize more national intangible cultural heritages, while collaborating to submit the Mo Muong dossier for UNESCO inscription.

Concurrently, the province focuses on developing cultural-spiritual tourism routes, such as the journey back to the roots: Hung Kings' Temple – Lang Suong Temple – Mother Au Co Temple. Integrating heritage with contemporary life through traditional festivals (such as the Tay Thien Festival and Tro Tram Festival) and craft villages (such as Huong Canh pottery and Sai Nga conical hats) will shape the distinct identity of the Northern Midland and Mountainous region. The core objective is to turn heritage into assets, serving scientific research, traditional education, and lifting the livelihoods of local residents.

Engraving Uncle Ho’s teachings, the Party Committee, local authorities, and People of Phu Tho Province are sustainably preserving their heritage values, ensuring that the cultural essence of the Ancestral Land remains a source of pride and a driving force for future development.

Huong Giang