Hung Kings Temple

The Hung kings are the semi-legendary founders of Van Lang, the first Vietnamese state, and their temples stand in three levels up Nghia Linh hill in Phu Tho - the lower, middle and upper temples, with the tomb of the sixth king and a well at the top. Worship here goes back centuries and was made a national public holiday in 2007, falling on the tenth day of the third lunar month; the day empties offices across the country and brings very large crowds to the hill. UNESCO inscribed the worship of the Hung kings on its intangible heritage list in 2012, recognising the practice rather than the buildings.

What you actually see

• Temples in three levels - lower, middle and upper, up Nghia Linh hill.
• The founding dynasty - semi-legendary kings of Van Lang.
• A national holiday since 2007 - on the tenth of the third lunar month.
• On the UNESCO list since 2012 - the worship, not the buildings.

When to go

Year round; the festival day is spectacular and impossibly crowded. Half a day.

Honest expectations

On the festival the site takes hundreds of thousands and moving is difficult. The climb is long stone stairs. Most buildings are twentieth century reconstructions. English interpretation is limited.

Nearby

Viet Tri is south; Hanoi is south-east.