Racing to prepare for Hùng Kings ceremony

PHÚ THỌ - A special ceremony will take place next week in the Hùng Kings’ Temple - a well-known historical relic site in the northern province of Phú Thọ’s Việt Trì City to pay tribute to the Hùng Kings- the legendary founders of the nation.

While the festival this year has been scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the key spiritual ceremony will still take place.

In preparation for the event which will be held on Thursday, the final steps of the construction and upgrading of some works at the relic sites including a pedestrian bridge across Mai An Tiêm Lake and a ritual site on Phú Bùng Hill at the site, are close to completion.

The works are parts of a master plan approved by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc in 2017 to preserve and promote the value of the Hùng Kings temple relic site.

Officials, workers and engineers are racing to finish the renovation work on time.

They are from the Management Unit of the Hùngs’ Temple Construction Investment Project, the Trường Sơn Trading and Construction Investment Joint Stock Company and the Sông Hồng Thủ Đô Joint Stock Company.

Pedestrian bridge

With construction beginning four months ago, the pedestrian bridge made of reinforced concrete with arched structure will link the two banks of Mai An Tiêm Lake.

Trần Xuân Doanh, chief supervisor of the Sông Hồng Thủ Đô Joint Stock Company, said the construction works were conducted under very strict safety conditions ensuring the protection of the local environment and avoiding any impact on the visitor and pilgrim experience.

“We are constructing in very difficult conditions due to a narrow working site near the Đền Giếng traffic point which demands very strict safety for the environment and circulation,” said Doanh.

The official said during the construction of the bridge pillars, workers had to ensure lake water was not drained.

“Roads for transporting materials are running around the lake, so it is impossible to gather all manpower there in a rush as it will affect other work in the relic,” said Doanh.

Despite these difficulties, the team are committed to ensuring they can inaugurate the bridge on the occasion of the Hùng King’s anniversary this year.

They were ready to work night and day, rain or shine, according to the official.

“Up to now, the main works have been basically finished and construction is now focusing on adjusting some small works related to the leading path to the bridge and its railing design, the landscape on both sides and the outside stage area creating a synchronised landscape for Mai An Tiêm Lake and the Đền Giếng crossroads,” Doanh said.

Doanh said he was sure the bridge would be a highlight of the landscape offering impressive sights at Hùng Temple.

Phú Bùng Hill

On the construction site of Phú Bùng Hill, adjacent to the axis of the ritual ceremony yard, the old garden with temporary houses has been relocated and replaced with a wide and clear space for the ceremony axis and the whole relic.

The project management unit of the relic site is focusing on directing contractors to accelerate the levelling of the lake, building high and low pedestrian road systems and planting more trees on the site.

After being completed, the space will also be used for cultural and arts activities including exhibitions and advertisement and presentation of local tourism products and other services.

Lê Trường Giang, director of Hùng Temple Relic Management Board, said the construction aimed to meet the targets of conservation and promotion for the value of Hùng Temple Historic Site under the resolution of the 13th provincial Party Congress.

In the last few years, the restoration and construction in the site have attracted attention and investment from the State and the province, he said.

The management board itself advised the provincial People's Committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to set up and complete a plan on preserving and promoting for the historical and cultural value of the site, according to Giang.

“In the past five years, about 10 projects as part of the plan have been carried out in the site with more than VNĐ351 billion (US$15 million) of investment from the State budget and donations from organisations,” said Giang.

The official said several works built with investment capital mobilised from social sources had contributed to making the relic site look more majestic and clean.

Those works include the restoration and upgrading of Thiền Quang Pagoda and Hạ Temple area, the entrance gate to the festival, the ladder steps up and down the Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain and the pedestrian bridge across the Mai An Tiêm Lake.

In May 2017, Phú Thọ provincial People’s Committee announced the Prime Minister-approved planning project to preserve and promote the value of the Hùng Kings temple relic site.

According to the plan, the targeted site will cover areas around Hy Cương, Chu Hóa and Vân Phú communes of Việt Trì City, Tiên Kiên Commune of Lâm Thao District and Phù Ninh Commune of Phù Ninh District with a total area of 845ha including a core zone and a buffer zone.

The 32.2ha core zone will include Thượng (Upper), Trung (Middle) and Hạ (Lower) temples, Giếng Temple, the Hùng Kings Tombs, Thiền Quang Pagoda, a house for worshipping ancestors, and a bell tower. These constructions and the surrounding primary forest will be preserved and kept intact under the plan.

The buffer zone, spread over 812.8ha, comprises Vân and Troc mountains, Hùng King tower, an area for hosting festivals and events, Hùng Temple National Park, a temple commemorating legendary national father Lạc Long Quân, a martyr memorial, and residential areas.

The project aims to safeguard natural landscapes and the ecological environment of the historic site while creating a space to commemorate and honour the Hung Kings and national ancestors of the same era.

It also aims to turn the site into an attractive tourist destination to educate visitors on patriotism and solidarity. VNS