About Hùng Kings' Festival (Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương)
The Hùng Kings' Festival, Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương, is Vietnam's great day of ancestral remembrance, honouring the legendary Hùng Kings revered as the nation's founders. Held on the tenth day of the third lunar month, it carries the spirit of the proverb "however far you wander, remember the ancestors' death anniversary on the tenth of the third month". It has been a national public holiday since 2007. The countdown above tracks the next observance to the second.
The heart of the festival is the Hùng Kings' Temple complex on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain in Phú Thọ Province, the land traditionally considered the cradle of the Vietnamese people. Over the days leading up to the tenth, pilgrims climb the temple steps to offer incense, sticky-rice cakes (bánh chưng and bánh giầy), flowers and processions, while folk games, xoan singing and dragon dances fill the grounds. Millions take part each year, and temples nationwide hold parallel rites.
Because it follows the lunar calendar, the Gregorian date shifts each year, usually falling in April. UNESCO recognised the Worship of the Hùng Kings in Phú Thọ on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. Add this Hùng Kings' Festival countdown to your own page to count down to Vietnam's most sacred national day.
Upcoming dates
| 2027 | Friday, April 16, 2027next |
| 2028 | Tuesday, April 4, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, April 23, 2029 |
| 2030 | Friday, April 12, 2030 |
FAQ
When is the Hùng Kings' Festival?
It falls on the 10th day of the third lunar month, usually in April — April 16 in 2027 and April 4 in 2028.
Why is the Hùng Kings' Festival important?
It honours the legendary Hùng Kings as the founders of Vietnam, expressing gratitude to ancestors; it has been a national holiday since 2007.
How is the Hùng Kings' Festival celebrated?
With pilgrimages to the Hùng Kings' Temple in Phú Thọ, incense and rice-cake offerings, processions, folk games and traditional xoan singing.
Where is the Hùng Kings' Temple?
The main temple complex sits on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain in Phú Thọ Province, northern Vietnam, the area regarded as the ancestral homeland of the Vietnamese people.