The man who acting Hung King to teach people to cultivate rice

Festival re-enacts Hung Kings’ teachings on rice cultivation is one of Phu Tho’s distinctive cultural heritages. Every year on lunar January 15, the celebration is held in Lu field in the Dan Tich Dien of Minh Nong Ward, Viet Tri City.

The rituals of being the Hung King.

The Organizing Committee carefully selected the individual performing the character of King Hung in the event. Mr. Nguyen Quang Chung, Chairman of the Minh Nong Commune People’s Committee, stated that person must be an old farmer with good looks, good descendants, a perfect marriage, and a member of a culture family title who has farming experience. Furthermore, the family has a long history of attending local festivals and is well-versed in festival customs and rituals.“In addition to the requirements listed above, the person”playing" Hung King role must be a respectable member of the community, have a physique appropriate for dragon robes, and be in excellent health. Mr. Phung Van Binh, who lives in area 8, Minh Nong commune, Viet Tri city, fits the qualifications listed above.

Mr. Phung Van Binh, of area 8, Minh Nong Ward, Viet Tri City, satisfies the requirements to portray King Hung, who teaches people how to harvest rice.

Mr. Binh stated, "My family and I are very pleased and have a huge responsibility since for more than 20 years, my father and I were chosen to perform the part of King Hung teaching people how to grow rice during the festival. Every resident understands the importance and origin of rice growing, which dates back to the period when Hung King founded the kingdom. I am really honored to have a modest role in maintaining national and local culture."

Mr. Binh prepares for the role

According to mythology, ancient humans did not know how to plow or plant rice, and instead relied on natural resources. Every time the river rises, the fields along its banks grow more fruitful with silt. King Hung recognized that this area was good, so he summoned his servants to come and find a method to construct banks to safeguard the river. When the monarch noticed a lot of wild rice growing, he taught the people how to save the seeds, sow the seedlings, and transplant them into water-filled fields.

The act “King Hung teaches people to plant rice” is wonderfully portrayed.

After planting till the sun was shining, the King sat down with everyone to eat and drink under a huge banyan tree. Since then, every year at the start of the harvest season, the Minh Nong people have held the Tich Dien Ceremony (going to the fields) to honor Hung King.

In order to preserve and promote the unique cultural heritage values of the Hung King era, meet the cultural and spiritual needs of the people, and demonstrate the ethic of drinking water, remember its source, in 2018, the People’s Committee of Viet Tri city decided to re-enacts Hung Kings’ teachings on rice cultivation, commemorate and pay tribute to Hung King’s contributions from the first day of founding the country.

Quoc An