(VOVworld)- UNESCO has recognized Vietnam’s Hung Kings worshiping ritual in Phu Tho province as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. This is a great honor for Vietnam and Phu Tho province Vietnamese spiritual culture has now been acknowledged globally. The recognition brings with it a heavy responsibility for Vietnamese people- preserving and promoting the values of this heritage in the community.

Vietnam’s Hung Kings worshiping ritual in Phu Tho province becoming part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage reflects the importance to the Vietnamese people of ancestor worship. For generations, Vietnamese have preserved and handed down the ritual as a precious cultural heritage. Now that this heritage has been recognized by UNESCO, it’s even more important to preserve and promote its values. Pham Cao Phong, Secretary General of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee says: "It’s crucial to preserve and promote the heritage now that it has been recognized. With Vietnam restructuring its economy, it’s important to use the title to support the socio-economic development of heritage localities. The National Committee has discussed with international organizations possible technical and financial assistance to preserve the heritage. The heritage must be preserved scientifically and promoted sustainably for future generations".

Phu Tho province is working on a strategy for preserving the Hung Kings worshiping ritual as a way to preserve and promote national culture. Ha Ke San, Vice Chairman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee says:  "We will focus on strengthening the dissemination of information about this unique heritage to Vietnamese people inside and outside the country and to foreigners. Next year, we will organize the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, Hung King temple festival and a ceremony to receive the recognition of the Hung Kings Worshipping ritual. On these occasions, we will encourage the public to practice the worshiping ritual because they are the people who will preserve and hand down this ritual".

A heritage will lose its original values unless these values are preserved, practiced and handed down in the community. Nguyen Chi Ben, Director of the Vietnam Arts and Literature Institute says it’s important to sell the community on the heritage preservation. "UNESCO always evaluates on intangible cultural heritage on how it’s preserved, promoted, and handed down in the community. The community must be the master of the intangible cultural heritage", said Ben.

Le Thi Minh Ly, Director of the Cultural Heritage Research and Preservation Center of Vietnam’s Cultural Heritage Association says it’s important to revitalize the fine human values of the Hung Kings worshipping ritual and make them live in Vietnamese people’s spiritual lives. Ly also emphasizes the need to raise the awareness of the public, especially younger generation about heritage values. "It’s necessary to increase interaction and dialogues with young people to help them better understand the rituals and how they can participate in those rituals. We also need to integrate the ritual into our everyday custom of worshiping ancestors. By integrating national and family customs, we can popularize the ritual", said Ms Ly.

Social customs, rituals and festivals of Hung King worship reflect the national identity and diversity of the Vietnamese nation. Next year, Phu Tho province will organize a Hung Kings temple festival to promote the ritual. In the long term, the province aims to increase communication activities to introduce the heritage to both Vietnamese and foreign people.

Lan Anh