Hung Kings Commemoration 2024

April 13 — Hung Kings Commemoration in Tokyo

A place where the burning love for the homeland keeps glowing in the hearts of those living far away.

As a founding member, a member, and a board member of the Vietnamese Association in Japan since its establishment in 1983, I do not think there has been a single major occasion organized by the association that I have missed. In short, I have attended nearly every Hung Kings Commemoration — the day we also call “Honoring the Founding Ancestors,” which Mr. Nguyễn Mỹ Tuấn, the former Vice President of the association and my classmate (who passed away in March of last year), translated into Japanese as “建国記念日” (National Foundation Day). It is a beautiful translation, and I have used it for fifty years whenever speaking with Japanese friends. Every time I attend, I reconnect with familiar feelings and faces, both old and new. I met our elder Mr. Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, affectionately known as “Tuấn Huế,” and former Naval Lieutenant Thành from Hikone, and I had the chance to meet many lovely younger nieces such as Quế Anh, Khánh Huyền, and Như Ý.

Last year, in 2023, I joined the Vietnamese community in Tokyo to mark this day in the spirit of “Mother Calls Us Home” with Mr. Lê Hồng Quang’s musical group. This year, 2024, the day was celebrated under the theme “The Spirit of the Hung Kings — Gathering from All Four Directions,” with young members handling everything from A to Z. Allow me to share my own reflections as a participating audience member. Let me begin.

The ceremony was held at a large hall in Ichigaya, in the very center of Tokyo, with a capacity of 200, drawing in many Vietnamese who currently live in or are visiting Japan. The festive air was lively, brightened by the graceful flowing áo dài worn by the young women and girls.

Long flowing braids drift in the breeze A gentle smile reveals teeth like pearls The áo dài flows softly behind her Making my younger sister look noble and proud Her face as beautiful as a flower Eyes deep as a dreaming pool Is she a beauty or a heavenly fairy?

(A poem found online)

Looking at the bright faces and warm smiles around me, I felt deeply moved and reassured that the path we have walked is being carried on by the young generation in a spirit of creativity. Though some of us have been away from our roots for more than half a century, though we are thousands of miles from home, the love for our homeland still burns in the hearts of every participant. Of this I am sure.

The program opened on time at 1:30 p.m. on April 13. A special feature of this year’s festival was the participation of many young people, who brought a new wind and a new vitality. They prepared and ran the program with remarkable professionalism, with cultural performances overflowing with love for homeland, people, and life. Looking at their radiant faces and listening to their warm, joyful voices on stage, I understood that today’s younger generation is becoming ever more attached to and respectful of our nation’s roots.

From the moment I stepped into that solemn space, emotions surged through me. The first thing that struck me was the change in the organizing committee. Instead of being made up only of “the elders” as in previous years, this year welcomed many young members, embodying the successful inheritance and development of our traditions.

After the opening greeting from President Phan Thị Thanh Hương, three elders solemnly offered tribute before the altar of the homeland. The rituals were stately, deeply rooted in the thousand-year traditions of our people. The highlight of the festival was the incense offering ceremony in remembrance of the Hung Kings. As Ms. Hà Mỹ Xuân read the eulogy aloud, I fell silent and was overwhelmed. Images of my homeland and my roots flooded back: golden ripening rice fields, simple thatched houses, the kind and honest people. I remembered the heroic stories of our ancestors and the resounding victories of our nation.

The Eulogy to the Founding Ancestors — read at the Hung Kings Commemoration (2024)

In Japan, on the fifth day of the third month of the Vietnamese year 4903, corresponding to April 13 of the solar calendar. The chief representative of the Vietnamese Association in Japan, kneeling before the ancestral altar, bows deeply and offers these words: