Hanoi’s leaders paid tribute to ancestors and President Ho Chi Minh a few days ahead of the lunar calendar, demonstrating the tradition of Vietnamese people every Tet [the Lunar New Year].

The delegation, led by Dinh Tien Dung Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, offered incense at typical monuments in the capital city.

Leaders included Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Thi Tuyen; Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh; Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, and Vice Chairwoman Vu Thu Ha.

The city’s leaders attended incense offering ceremonies at the Monument of King Ly Thai To who relocated Vietnam’s capital city to Hanoi in 1010; the Monument of King Le Thai To – a military leader who restored the kingdom of Dai Viet after it was conquered by the Ming dynasty and founded the Later Le dynasty (1428); Ngoc Son Temple, built in commemoration of Tran Hung Dao, the greatest military commander of Vietnam; Kinh Thien Palace at UNESCO-recognized Thang Long Imperial Citadel; and the Ho Chi Minh Relic Area.

Offering incense aims to commemorate the merits of the ancestors in the construction and defense of the thousand-year-old Hanoi and Vietnam in general. The ancestors cultivated incredibly priceless historical and cultural values that will endure forever for the capital and the nation as a whole. It lays the groundwork for the nation’s army and populace to resolutely triumph over all hardship, defeat all enemies, and be determined to build the nation.

Hanoi's leaders offer incense at the Monument of King Ly Thai To on February 6. Photos: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times

Hanoi's leaders at Ngoc Son Temple.

The Hanoi top officials at Nam Huong Temple where worships King Le Thai To.

The incense offering at Kinh Thien Palace in UNESCO-recognized Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

Kinh Thien Palace is the most important palace, where the most solemn ceremonies of the court held, where foreign envoys welcomed, and important national affairs discussed.