Top 10 Best Summaries of the Legend 'Chung Cake, Square Cake'

Chung Cake, Square Cake is a fairy tale about King Hung Vuong VI who, in his old age, wanted to pass the throne to a worthy and talented child, but he had 20 sons. During the Offering Ceremony, King Hung declared that whoever found delicious and rare food to place on the ancestral altar would inherit the throne.

All the princes eagerly competed to prepare sumptuous and delicious offerings to the ancestors in order to be chosen by King Hung. Among the princes, Lang Lieu, the 18th son, was the saddest because he lost his mother at a young age and only worked in the fields, not knowing what to do.

One night, Lang Lieu was guided by a deity in a dream to make a type of cake from glutinous rice, green beans, and pork, shaping two cakes, one round symbolizing heaven, and one square symbolizing earth.

On the day of the ceremony, after all the princes had offered their gifts, none pleased the king. When it was Lang Lieu's turn, the king found the cakes both delicious and meaningful, so he passed the throne to him. Since then, the tradition of making Chung Cake and Square Cake has become a ritual of the Vietnamese people every Lunar New Year, showing respect for the ancestors.

The legend of Chung cake and Giay cake tells the story of the sixth Hung King, who, after defeating invading enemies, called his children together and decreed that whoever found a delicious and unique dish to place on the ancestral altar would inherit the throne.

All of the Hung King's children eagerly searched the forests and seas for delicious and unique ingredients, hoping to offer them on the ancestral altar and gain the throne. Lang Lieu, the eighteenth prince, lost his mother early and was very anxious, not knowing what to do or what to offer to his father the king.

One day, while sleeping, he received a message from a deity instructing him to make a type of cake later called Chung cake and Giay cake. Lang Lieu set to work, searching for glutinous rice and using leaves to symbolize the protection of his parents, wrapping them into square cakes. The mashed rice, when compacted, formed a round cake. These two cakes, one square and one round, symbolized heaven and earth.

After his brothers had presented all sorts of delicious and unique offerings to the king, it was Lang Lieu's turn. He presented his cakes to the king. Intrigued, the king asked about them, and Lang Lieu recounted the story. Impressed by the deliciousness and significance of the cakes, the king passed the throne to Lang Lieu. Thus, the legend of Chung cake and Giay cake was born.

King Hung the sixth had twenty sons, all of whom were skilled and talented, making it challenging for the king to choose his successor. The king always told his sons that the chosen one did not necessarily have to be the eldest; rather, whoever pleased him during the Feast of First-Fruits would inherit the throne.

All the princes competed to acquire the most luxurious, delicious, and unique offerings, all of which were sought after far and wide, with the sole desire to win the king's favor. However, only the eighteenth son of the king, Lang Lieu, remained deeply saddened due to his poverty. He lacked the means to search for rare items like his brothers did. With only rice in hand, Lang Lieu, burdened by his thoughts, fell asleep. In a dream, a deity instructed him on making offerings. Upon waking up, he used glutinous rice, green beans, and pork to make two cakes: one round, symbolizing heaven, and one square, symbolizing earth. He named the round cake giay and the square cake chung. The king was delighted with Lang Lieu's offerings and decided to pass the throne to him.

Hence, during Vietnam's traditional Tet festival, two simple yet meaningful cakes cannot be absent from the ancestral altar.

King Hung the sixth had 20 sons, all of whom were talented and skilled. When the king grew old and couldn't decide who should succeed him, he devised a plan to offer ceremonial items during the Feast of First-Fruits. The offering that was most meaningful and pleasing would inherit the throne.

Lang Lieu was the eighteenth son of the king. While his brothers searched for ceremonial items in the forests and seas, Lang Lieu was still struggling to find one. In a dream, a deity revealed to him a method to make a cake using readily available ingredients. Two cakes, one square symbolizing earth and one round symbolizing heaven.

During the Feast of First-Fruits, Lang Lieu presented the cakes to the king, who praised and was greatly pleased. King Hung decided to pass the throne to Lang Lieu.

King Hung the Sixth sought among his twenty sons for a truly talented and virtuous successor to inherit the throne, setting a condition: it didn't have to be the eldest son, but whoever pleased the king during the Royal Feast would be crowned.

The nobles competed to prepare lavish and delicious offerings. Lang Lieu, the eighteenth son, felt saddened by his family's poverty, only accustomed to farming potatoes and rice, not knowing where to find exotic ingredients like the other nobles. After a night of dreaming, guided by a deity, he made two cakes using glutinous rice, green beans, and pork: one round and one square, to offer to his father, the king. Impressed by the delicious cakes and their profound symbolism, the king offered them to Heaven, Earth, and the Royal Feast, naming the round cake 'banh giay' and the square cake 'banh chung,' and passed the throne to Lang Lieu.

Since then, the tradition of making and offering 'banh chung' and 'banh giay' during ancestral ceremonies has become an indispensable custom on the Vietnamese Tet holiday.

In the era of King Hung the Sixth, as the king grew old, he wished to pass the throne to a son who possessed both virtue and talent. However, he had a total of 20 sons. To select the most suitable heir, during the Royal Feast, the king decreed that whoever found a delicious and rare dish would be the chosen one.

While his brothers eagerly searched for rare delicacies, Lang Lieu - the eighteenth son who lost his mother at a young age and worked as a farmer, unsure of how to find such rare delicacies to offer to the Royal Feast.

One night, Lang Lieu received divine guidance in a dream, instructing him to make cakes from glutinous rice, green beans, pork, shaping them into two types: a round cake representing the heavens and a square one representing the earth.

On the day of the feast, despite his brothers' offerings, none pleased the king. It was only when Lang Lieu presented his cakes that the king found both delicious and meaningful, choosing them as the ceremonial offerings and passing the golden throne to him. Since then, the tradition of making 'banh chung' and 'banh giay' cakes has become a Vietnamese custom during Tet holidays, symbolizing reverence for ancestors.

As King Hung grew old and wished to pass the throne to his children, he set a condition: regardless of birth order, whoever pleased the Celestial King would inherit the throne. The courtiers raced to find rare delicacies in the forests and seas to offer to the king. However, Lang Lieu, the eighteenth son, after dreaming of a deity, made two types of cakes, one square and one round, to offer to the king. Delighted with the cakes, the king appointed Lang Lieu as his successor. Since then, 'banh chung' and 'banh giay' cakes have become indispensable offerings during the Tet festival.

During the reign of the sixth Hung King, the aging monarch desired to pass the throne to one of his sons. On the day of the Royal Tribute ceremony, the king decreed: 'It doesn't have to be the eldest son, whoever pleases the king during the Royal Tribute will inherit the throne.' The princes were sent far and wide to find rare and delicious offerings to present to their father, the king. Only Lang Lieu, accustomed to rural life and familiar only with yams and rice, had no resources to find exotic offerings. One night, Lang Lieu dreamt of a deity who revealed: 'In heaven and earth, nothing is as precious as rice grains.' Upon awakening, he followed the deity's advice, using familiar glutinous rice to create two types of cakes, one square and one round. On the day of the ceremony, while the other princes presented their exotic offerings, Lang Lieu's table displayed only two types of cakes. King Hung was surprised and summoned Lang Lieu to inquire about these cakes. Lang Lieu recounted his dream meeting with the deity, explaining the ingredients and symbolism of each type of cake. Pleased with this revelation, the king decided to pass the throne to Lang Lieu. The king named the square cake 'chung cake,' symbolizing Heaven, and the round cake 'giay cake,' symbolizing Earth. The outer leaves signified their mutual embrace. From then on, our people have diligently cultivated, raised livestock, and observed the tradition of making chung and giay cakes on Tet holidays.

I am Lang Lieu, who faced more hardships than my siblings because I lost my mother when I was young. I had to work hard every day, directly engaging in agricultural tasks. Now, our father, the king, has decreed that all 20 of us siblings, whoever finds a rare offering for the Royal Tribute, will inherit the throne. Each of my siblings went into the forests and seas to find exotic offerings, but I didn't know where to find such things.

Fortunately, that night a deity came to help me and advised me to make two types of cakes from glutinous rice, green beans, pork, shaping one into a round form symbolizing heaven and the other into a square form symbolizing earth. I was delighted because all the ingredients were readily available at home. That very night, I began to prepare them.

On the day of the ceremony, the exotic offerings brought by my siblings did not please our father, the king. However, when I presented the cakes, the king found them delicious and meaningful, thus deciding to make them ritual offerings and passing the throne to me.

In the era of the sixth Hung King, nearing old age, the king desired to pass the throne to his offspring. However, having twenty sons, he was unsure whom to choose. Approaching the Royal Tribute ceremony, King Hung laid down a condition: “It doesn't have to be the eldest son; whoever pleases the king during the Royal Tribute ceremony shall inherit the throne.” The princes dispatched throughout the land to seek exotic offerings. Lang Lieu, the eighteenth son of the king, felt the most despondent. His mother had passed away when he was young due to the king's neglect and illness. Compared to his siblings, he faced the most hardships. Accustomed to agricultural work and having only sweet potatoes and rice at home, Lang Lieu didn't know what to offer for the Royal Tribute. One night, he dreamt of a deity's message: “In heaven and earth, nothing is more precious than rice.” Upon awakening, he followed the deity's advice, using familiar glutinous rice to craft two cakes, one square and one round, to offer to his father, the king. The king was very pleased and decided to pass the throne to Lang Lieu. The king named the square cake “banh chung,” symbolizing heaven, and the round cake “banh giay,” symbolizing earth. The outer leaves signify the wrapping of familial love. Thus, our country cultivates agriculture and raises livestock, preserving the tradition of making banh chung and banh giay during the Tet festival.