Leaders offer incense to commemorate predecessors at Thang Long Royal Citadel

Politburo member and Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang and leaders from central agencies, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Hanoi offered incense to commemorate predecessors at a ceremony held at the Thang Long Royal Citadel in Hanoi on February 16.

Leaders at the ceremony (Credit: VGP)

The ceremony took place with traditional ritual practices. At 7am, a palanquin procession attracting over 400 people entered the Kinh Thien Palace yard. Dragon dancing artisans from Trieu Khuc Village, Tan Trieu Commune, Thanh Thi District performed a dragon dance reproducing the national legend of origin to wish for national peace and prosperity. Artisans from Yen Hoa Village, Cau Giay District performed a celebratory drum song showing the spirit of the thousand-year-old capital.

After a traditional ceremony, the delegates offered incense to commemorate predecessors in a formal and traditional manner, expressing their gratitude to contributors to the Thang Long culture and civilisation.

The event’s organisers, the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritaage Conservation Centre and the Thang Long-Hanoi Cultural Heritage Association, also conducted a seal opening ceremony (an ancient custom to pray for a peaceful and prosperous nation). Earlier, archaeologists found a royal wood seal at the Tran Dynasty’s cultural layer in an archaeological excavation at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site, which was considered a precious treasure for study.

The event, which is a formal ritual activity paying tribute to predecessors and honouring traditional values of the Thang Long-Hanoi land, has been planned to be organised annually.

(Source: NDO)