The Birth Anniversary Festival of King An Dương Vương is held annually on the 11th day of the eighth lunar month at the Upper Temple (Đền Thượng). Organized by the local community, the festival commemorates the founder of the ancient state of Âu Lạc - a ruler who made great contributions to the early formation and defense of the Vietnamese nation.

The Temple of King An Dương Vương at Cổ Loa

According to ancient customs recorded in the book “Tục lệ xã Cổ Loa, huyện Đông Anh, tổng Cổ Loa, tỉnh Phúc Yên – 1942”, the rituals are carefully prepared and imbued with the deep spiritual colors of folk beliefs:

The upper altar is arranged with a pure, solemn vegetarian offering tray.

The lower altar displays black pork, black buffalo meat, sticky rice, rice wine, square sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng), and floating rice cakes (bánh trôi) – symbolic products tied to agricultural life and fertility beliefs.

Beyond the formal rituals, the festive activities include day-long singing performances, creating a joyful, intimate, yet sacred atmosphere rich in communal spirit.

Not only preserved through oral tradition, the worship of King An Dương Vương was also officially recognized by the imperial courts of various feudal dynasties. Over the centuries, Cổ Loa has preserved numerous royal decrees (sắc phong) from the Lê and Nguyễn dynasties. These decrees honor the King as a sovereign of exceptional civil and military talents, outstanding wisdom, and monumental merits in founding and defending the nation. He is revered as a deity who “responds to prayers with clarity, foresees the unfathomable, remains everlasting, silently bestowing divine support.” Successive dynasties respected and exalted him, granting titles and honorifics that affirm his role as a virtuous guardian of national peace and prosperity.

Royal decree dated the 24th day of the 7th month, 1st year of Cảnh Hưng (1740)

Notably, the royal decree issued on the 24th day of the seventh lunar month in the first year of Cảnh Hưng (1740) explicitly states: “On the occasion of my ascension to the throne, to uphold the realm and strengthen the nation, I confer upon An Dương Vương the three honorific titles: Cương Nghị, Huy Nhu, Ý Cung Hoàng Đế.”
These honorifics not only express the respect of the feudal court but also affirm the people’s enduring faith in the virtue and contributions of the nation-founding king.

Today, the Birth Anniversary Festival of King An Dương Vương continues to be preserved by the Cổ Loa community as a testament to the enduring bond between history and spiritual life, between communal memory and the vitality of folk culture. It is an occasion for every Vietnamese to return to their roots, take pride in the nation's tradition of resisting foreign invasions, and honor the ancestors who built the country. At the same time, the festival enriches the spiritual and cultural landscape of Cổ Loa in particular and the Thăng Long – Hà Nội region in general, nurturing cultural identity and strengthening patriotic spirit.

The festival stands as a bridge connecting past and present, bringing heritage values closer to the community so that the historical and cultural essence of Cổ Loa may continue to flourish and endure with the Vietnamese people.