On August 27 (the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in the Year of the Horse), residents and Buddhists visited pagodas across Ho Chi Minh City to take part in meaningful activities during the Vu Lan season.
At Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda in Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Buddhists arrived at the pagoda early in the morning to offer incense and pray.
Throughout the day, the pagoda organized various activities, including distributing free vegetarian meals, guiding residents in Vu Lan rituals, and sharing teachings about filial piety, family love, and how people should treat one another.
At Phap Hoa Pagoda, large numbers of residents and Buddhists attended the Vu Lan ceremony in a solemn atmosphere. They chanted sutras and prayed for their parents and loved ones while remembering those who had passed away.
At Hue Nghiem Pagoda in An Khanh Ward, the pagoda presented 1,000 gift packages to people facing difficult circumstances. Each package included 10 kilograms of rice and VND500,000 (US$19.17) in cash. The gifts helped spread a spirit of care and sharing within the community during the Vu Lan season.
Dieu Phap Pagoda in Binh Loi Trung Ward, in coordination with the Ward Red Cross Society, organized a voluntary blood donation program.
Organizers recorded 175 blood donors and collected 243 units of blood. This is also an activity that Dieu Phap Pagoda maintains during major holidays, helping turn the spirit of sharing into practical action.
At Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Xuan Hoa Ward, large numbers of residents visited the pagoda on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month to offer incense, pray and participate in Vu Lan activities.
On the evening of August 27, participants gathered for the traditional "rose pinned to the lapel" ceremony, a poignant ritual dedicated to honoring parental love, sacrifice, and the deep gratitude owed to mothers and fathers for the gift of life and upbringing. Pinning a traditional rose to the lapel during the Buddhist festival of Vu Lan signifies filial piety, with a red rose worn if one's parents are alive and a white rose if they have passed away.
The practice of the traditional "rose pinned to the lapel" ceremony is a main part of the celebrations of Vu Lan, or Ullambana, a Buddhist festival in the seventh lunar month that is known as the season of filial piety.
![bong hong.jpg](https://image.sggp.org.vn/w1000/Uploaded/2026/bhgkqzbtgazs/2026_08_28/bong-hong-6217-3420.jpg "The traditional "rose pinned to the lapel" ceremony, a poignant ritual dedicated to honoring parental love - where participants wear red or white roses to honor their parents - is held at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda. Photo: Manh Thang")
