Theincense offering ceremony aims to commemorate national ancestors and pray forthe country’s prosperity.
Othertraditional rituals include a palanquin procession staged by over 300 people, adragon dance, a drum performance, a water puppet show, and a folk musicperformance.
Inthe past, the early spring ceremony was held by kings to pay tribute toancestors and pray for peace and happiness for the nation, according to NguyenViet Chuc, director of the Thang Long culture research institute.
Theceremony has been revived in recent years to honour the tradition of the oldroyal capital.
TheImperial Citadel of Thang Long was built in the 11th century duringthe Ly dynasty to mark the independence of Dai Viet, the former name ofVietnam. The central sector of the citadel was listed as a UNESCO’s WorldHeritage Site in July 2010./.