At the ceremony, delegates respectfully presented incense, flowers, and offerings in commemoration of Au Co. Before her sacred spirit, Nguyen Anh Quoc, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hien Luong Commune and chief officiant, delivered a tribute expressing gratitude to Mother Au Co and praying for national peace and prosperity, favourable weather, abundant harvests, and a life of warmth and happiness for the people.
The annual Au Co Temple Festival is associated with the legend of Mother Au Co giving birth to the Vietnamese people from a sac of one hundred eggs. According to legend, Mother Au Co was the First Heavenly Princess who descended to earth on the seventh day of the first lunar month. She married Lac Long Quan and gave birth to a sac of one hundred eggs, which hatched into 100 sons — regarded as the origin of the Lac Hong community.
In recent days, the Au Co Temple Historical Site in Hien Luong Commune hosted a range of cultural, artistic, and sporting activities imbued with strong national identity.
Also on February 23, the People’s Committee of Gia Dinh Ward organised the 2026 Khai Ha–Cau An (Opening of the Year–Prayers for Peace) Festival, at the National Historical and Cultural Site of Le Van Duyet Tomb.
This year’s festival features a rich programme closely linked to hallmarks of ancient Vietnamese civilisation and remains an indispensable cultural and spiritual activity for local residents.
The festival embodies reverence for ancestors and remembrance of those who pioneered land reclamation and settlement, while expressing hopes for favourable conditions, bountiful harvests, and a prosperous, happy life.
Over time, the Khai Ha Festival has become deeply embedded in the community’s consciousness. It has been preserved and promoted by local residents, safeguarding its traditional, cultural, and historical values while attracting large numbers of both locals and visitors during the festival season.
It also represents a distinctive cultural hallmark and a source of pride for the people of Gia Dinh as well as for Ho Chi Minh City in general.
