A delegation led by Pham Dung, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, visited and greeted the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha on the 2,557th Birth Anniversary of Lord Buddha on May 23.
On the same day, Ho Chi Minh City leaders led by Nguyen Van Dua, standing Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, also congratulated the Executive Committee of the municipal Buddhist Sangha.
The city will hold a series of spiritual and cultural events to mark the occasion and 50 anniversary of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc burning himself to protest against the war in Vietnam.
Le Thanh Hai, Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee offered incense and flowers at the Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc Memorial located at the intersection of Cach Mang Thang Tam and Nguyen Dinh Chieu Streets in District 3 where the Most Venerable Thich Quang Duc self-immolated on June 11, 1963 to protest against the South Vietnamese regime’s oppression of Buddhists.
The Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc Park, built two years ago, will be a destination for local and foreign visitors to recall the monk's patriotism, determination to fight against oppression, and willingness to die for his country's independence and unification.
On the occasion, delegations led by leaders of provinces including Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Thua Thien-Hue also visited and congratulated Executive Committees of the provincial Buddhist Sangha, pagodas and temples.
The Executive Committees of Buddhist Sangha of Ninh Binh Province also kicked off the casting of three great bells at Bai Dinh Province on May 23 and will hand over these to pagodas on Truong Sa Archipelago in Khanh Hoa Province.
