Pilgrims turned away for inappropriate dress at Hung Kings’ temples

Many visitors to Hung Kings Temple Festival have been banned from entering the site for wearing short skirts and shorts.

Many visitors to Hung Kings Temple Festival have been banned from entering the site for wearing short skirts and shorts.

 

 

Several young women in short skirts were banned from entering the temples on April 6.

Thousands of visitors flocked to the Hung Kings Temple Site in the northern province of Phu Tho to participate in the last day of the six-day festival on Thursday morning.

After the incense offering ceremony, visitors were allowed to enter the site but many had been prevented from entry for wearing short skirts and shorts.

A police officer tells a young man in shorts to stay outside.

According to Ha Ke San, vice chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee who is head of this year’s festival organisation board, visitors must wear conservative respectful attire when coming to temples.

"This is a national festival so we have to try to protect its image," San noted. "This year have done our best to ensure that there will be no traffic jams, no harassment on tourists, no environmental pollution, and no bad conduct at the festival.

Organisers claimed that five million visited attended the festival between April 1 to 5.