President offers incense at spring festival in Thang Long citadel

ABO/NDO – President Tran Dai Quang offered incense and released birds at a spring ceremony held at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel’s Kinh Thien Palace on February 24 (the ninth day of the first lunar month).

President Tran Dai Quang offers incense at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel’s Kinh Thien Palace.

The incense offering ceremony in early spring aims to commemorate ancestral kings and those who have made contributions to the nation as well as pray for the country’s prosperity.

Various traditional rituals were held during the ceremony, including palanquin procession staged by more than 300 people, a dragon dance, drum performance and folk music performance.

In the past, the early spring ceremony was held by kings to pay tribute to ancestors and pray for peace and happiness for the nation. The ceremony has been revived in recent years to honour the tradition of the old royal capital.

The incense offering ceremony is part of a series of activities celebrating the Lunar New Year organised from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month by the Thang Long-Hanoi heritage conservation centre.

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was built in the 11th century during the Ly dynasty to mark the independence of Dai Viet, the former name of Vietnam. The central sector of the citadel was listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in July 2010.

(Source: NDO)