Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan was among the guests at the opening ceremony, which kicked off with an art performance by 500 actors and students based on the legend of Mother Au Co about the birth of the nation.

According to the legend, Au Co married Lac Long Quan and then gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs from which 100 babies were eventually born.

One day, Lac Long Quan told Au Co that as he descended from dragons and she from fairies, they could not continue in harmony. Then he parted from his wife, taking to the sea with half of their children and his wife moved to the mountains with the remainder.

The eldest son, who was with his mother, was enthroned as the first King Hung. He built his citadel in Phong Chau, now known as the south of Phu Tho Province, and named the country Van Lang.

A series of festivals will be held in all districts in the province. Among them is the King Hung Temple Festival, held from the 6th -10th day of the 3rd lunar month which is one of the most important festivals of the Vietnamese people.

The festival will offer a myriad of cultural activities to visitors, including a rice-cooking contest, human chess games, a boat race, wrestling matches, water puppetry shows, a photo exhibition, fashion shows and firework displays.