Hung Kings Temple
Phú Thọ(Đền Hùng)
Overview & history
The Hung Kings Temple (Hung Vuong mieu) is a complex of temples and a pagoda venerating the legendary Hung Kings and their kin on Nghia Linh mountain in Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province — regarded as the ancestral land of the Vietnamese people.
The relic complex
The complex comprises the Lower Temple, Thien Quang Pagoda, Middle Temple, Upper Temple, the Hung King mausoleum, the Well Temple and the Au Co Mother Temple, ranged from the foot to the 175 m summit of Nghia Linh mountain. Tradition holds that the Middle Temple was where the Hung Kings deliberated affairs of state with their lords, while the Upper Temple hosted rites to heaven, earth and the rice deity. The site was ranked a Special National Relic in 2009.
Hung Kings Commemoration
The Hung Kings' death anniversary festival on the 10th day of the third lunar month is a national holiday of Vietnam, drawing millions of pilgrims to the ancestral land. In 2012 UNESCO inscribed the “Worship of the Hung Kings in Phu Tho” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Photos
📷 Contribute photosVisiting tips
- Dress modestly; remove hats and keep quiet inside the main hall.
- Incense, flowers and offerings are usually sold right outside the gate; light an odd number of sticks (1 or 3).
- Most pagodas open from early morning to evening and are free to enter (some major sites charge a small scenic fee).
- Full-moon days, the 1st of the lunar month and Tet are very crowded; visit on weekday mornings for a quiet experience.
- Ask permission before photographing inside shrines; do not touch statues or altar objects.
Read more & references
Useful links to learn more before your visit:
Location
Coordinates: 21.36822, 105.32144
🧭 Directions on Google Maps