The Festival of “Hung King Teaching People to Plant Rice”

On the morning of March 3 (the 15th day of the first lunar month, Year of the Horse), Viet Tri Ward held the “Hung King Teaching People to Plant Rice” Festival. This is a unique national intangible cultural heritage of the Ancestral Land, representing the very origin of Vietnam’s wet-rice farming linked to the Hung Kings era.

The ceremony was attended by Ms. Phung Thi Kim Nga — Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee; along with leaders from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs; and the Provincial People’s Committee Office, alongside a large number of local residents.

The reenactment of the festival contributes to preserving and promoting the values of the "Hung Kings Worshiping Belief."

According to legend, Dong Lu in Minh Nong Ward (formerly) is where the Hung King taught his people how to plant rice, pioneering the wet-rice cultivation of the descendants of the Dragon and Fairy. Thus, the King is revered as Shennong (the God of Agriculture). Every year, rituals are held to pray to Shennong and reenact the story of the King teaching the people to farm.

Vice Chairwoman Phung Thi Kim Nga offers incense, flowers, and offerings during the ceremonial part.

The festival consists of two parts: the Ceremony and the Games. To begin the Ceremony, Vice Chairwoman Phung Thi Kim Nga and delegates, alongside representatives from seven residential areas, two agricultural cooperatives, and the education sector in Viet Tri Ward, presented traditional offerings such as Banh Chung, Banh Giay, rice, and paddy to worship Shennong. They prayed for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and national prosperity.

Leaders of Viet Tri Ward beat the drum and gong to open the festival.

Following the rituals of announcement and worshiping Shennong, the sacrificial ceremony took place. The chief celebrant and “Co-owner of the Field” is a respected elder, skilled in agriculture, with a harmonious and prosperous family. This choice embodies the hope that the elder’s virtues will be transferred to the rice plants, granting them the vitality to flourish. The ritual was performed strictly according to traditional rites to honor the merits of the Hung Kings.

The ceremonial part is organized solemnly, expressing gratitude to the Hung Kings for pioneering the wet-rice farming profession.

The highlight of the festival is the folk performance reenacting the scene of the Hung King teaching the people to plant rice. After performing the “Spirit Invitation” ritual at the Tich Dien Altar, the King, accompanied by 18 village youths and 18 members of the planting team, moved to the field for the “Xuong Dong” (Field-opening) ceremony. The King led the demonstration while the planting team followed his instructions.

The “Games” part featured a lively rice-planting competition between two teams. These folk performance rituals not only tell the origin story of wet-rice cultivation but also express aspirations for human and natural reproduction, wishing for everyone to be skillful in their work and for bumper crops.

The ritual is held annually with two competing teams. The first-prize winning team is rewarded by the “Hung King” to encourage the preservation of the wet-rice profession.

The reenactment of the festival contributes significantly to preserving and promoting historical and cultural values, especially the “Hung Kings Worshiping Belief” heritage. It further strengthens the solidarity of the descendants of the Dragon and Fairy in the Ancestral Land—the roots of the Vietnamese nation.

Le Hoang