Well-smelt square and round cakes

Banh Chung and Banh Giay always have a special place in the minds of Vietnamese people, being indispensable products in the custom of ancestors and Hung Kings worshiping belief of the Vietnamese people. Over thousands of years of history, the profession of making banh chung and banh giay has always been preserved and developed in many countrysides throughout the country. In Phu Tho, from May 2023, the profession of making banh chung and banh giay in Viet Tri city, Cam Khe district and Tam Nong district has been officially recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Banh Giay

Banh Chung and Banh Giay - two types of cakes that symbolize “round heaven and square earth”, are associated with the legendary story about the filial piety of Prince Lang Lieu during the 6th Hung Kings’ reign. Over several thousand years of history, Banh chung and banh day are still kept intact in shape and flavor by the Vietnamese people as offerings to worship ancestors.

Nowadays, banh chung and banh giay are indispensable offerings in every holiday, death anniversary, and wedding, and are familiar hometown gifts for all Vietnamese people. Especially for the people in Phu Tho, making banh chung and banh giay has become a cultural tradition, a unique custom and ritual that cannot be found anywhere else.

Xom village in Hung Lo commune, Viet Tri city is considered the place where Banh Chung offerings to King Hung originated. Since 2017, Hung Lo people have successfully built the brand “Hung Lo Banh Chung” and developed it into a traditional craft village. Up to now, Hung Lo banh chung has been chosen as a product serving the province’s tourism industry.

If Xom village, Hung Lo commune is considered one of the cradles of banh chung making in Phu Tho, Mo Chu Ha village, Bach Hac ward, Viet Tri city is a locality famous for making banh giay and contest of pounding banh giay to offer to the Kings.

Mr. Do Quang Le - a cake making artisan from Mo Chu Ha Village said: Mo Chu Ha Village still pounds the cake with a stone mortar and bamboo pestle. This is a traditional cultural beauty preserved through generations. This is also the secret to making the most delicious white banh giay that not every locality can make. In January and on the occasion of Hung Kings’ death anniversary every year, our villagers organize a banh giay pounding contest to review the tradition of “Drinking water, remember the source” and prepare fragrant, rich, sticky banh giay to offer to our ancestors.

This is a competition organized annually by Phu Tho province at the Hung Kings’ Temple Festival to recreate the competition of making offerings to ancestors back to the time when Hung King built the country. The team winning the first prize will be honored to represent the people of the country in making products to offer to their ancestors on the National Ancestor’s Anniversary - the 10th day of the third lunar month of the following year.

Mr. Nguyen Dac Thuy - Provincial Party Committee Member, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism affirmed: In the flow of the Hung Kings worshiping belief of Vietnamese people, the legendary square banh chung and round banh giay have been passed down, preserved and developed by the community into the current profession of making banh chung and banh giay. Through the development of the profession, it has contributed to preserving and promoting cultural values, arousing pride in the nation’s historical traditions; Showing appreciation for the achievements and creativity of the people’s labor; At the same time, contributing to promoting and introducing the unique culture and cuisine of the Fatherland to domestic and foreign tourists.

Thanh Tra