Published:  00:00 Tuesday - April 24, 2007

Ho Chi Minh City will host two festivals in celebration of the legendary Hung Kings and the founding of Vietnam this week.

The celebrations will be the largest ever as the Government has made the anniversary of the Hung Kings' death an official national holiday for the first time.
HCM City authorities have decided to observe the anniversary at the Sai Gon Botanical and Zoological Garden and the Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Park as the National Assembly has approved the 10^th day of the third lunar month, which this year falls on April 26, as the national holiday.

A ritual will be performed at the Hung Kings Temple at the botanical and zoological Garden at 7am on Thursday, followed by palanquin procession, incense offering, dragon dancing and the unveiling of bronze calligraphy dedicated to the kings.

The Legend of Hung Kings, a traditional music and dance performance, will be staged along with folk games, a circus and water puppetry. A regular puppet show will also take place.

Vietnamese culinary classics will be served, artwork will be displayed and a human chess and martial arts competition will also be held. Tourists and the public are free to join the festival that will run until 10pm on Thursday.

The Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Park in District 9 will host its Hung Kings celebration from Thursday to next Tuesday.

Some 4,000 square glutinous rice cakes representing the 4,000-year-long national history will be offered at the Hung Kings Temple.

Nearly 1,500 performers and representatives from 25 ethnic groups will perform traditional songs and dances.