On February 12 (the 15th day of the first lunar month in the year of the Rabbit), the Festival of King Hung Teaching People to Cultivate Rice took place at the Tich Dien Altar in Minh Nong Ward, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province.
This festival is considered unique and representative of the origins of wet rice cultivation among Vietnamese agricultural communities, closely associated with the era of King Hung.
Reenactment of King Hung Teaching People to Cultivate Rice – 1“The Festival of King Hung Teaching People to Cultivate Rice” took place on February 12 (Photo: Khanh Trang).
According to legend, long ago, people did not know how to cultivate crops for rice and relied solely on roots, wild fruits, and forest animals for sustenance. Each time the river waters flooded, the land near the rivers became enriched with fertile silt.
King Hung noticed the fertile land and called the people to build embankments to retain water. Seeing wild rice growing abundantly, he taught them how to collect seeds, plant seedlings, and transplant them into irrigated fields once they grew green.
Initially, the people did not know how to transplant rice, so they asked the king. King Hung demonstrated by uprooting seedlings, wading into the paddy fields, and showing the people how to plant them.
Since then, every year at the beginning of the planting season (in the first and sixth lunar months), the people of Minh Nong hold the Tich Dien ceremony to express their gratitude for King Hung’s great contributions.
In 2018, the People’s Committee of Viet Tri City revived the Festival of King Hung Teaching People to Cultivate Rice, commemorating and honoring King Hung’s role in founding the nation and pioneering agriculture.
The festival consists of two parts. The ceremonial part includes rituals such as worshiping the ancestors, offerings to the God of Agriculture, sacrificial rites, and the reenactment of “King Hung Teaching People to Cultivate Rice.” The folk activities include rice-planting competitions and traditional games.
The festival has attracted the participation and attention of a large number of locals and tourists, enhancing Viet Tri’s reputation as a city celebrating its cultural heritage.
Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/tai-hien-truyen-thuyet-vua-hung-day-dan-cay-lua-20250212132856496.htm
