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| Circle of life: On May 10, State leaders, Buddhists and visitors took part in a solemn ceremony to celebrate the VESAK at the Tu Dam temple in Hue city. — VNA/VNS Photo Ho Cau |
Viet Nam News
Countless celebrations across the country have marked the Buddha’s 2,561st birthday, which fell on May 10 this year, the 15th day of the fourth lunar month.
The Day of Vesak -- Buddha’s birth -- has been celebrated with much gusto in Viet Nam since early this week.
All pagodas and temples have been beautifully decorated and packed with devotees praying for peace and happiness.
Religious activities were held for millions of Vietnamese Buddhists involving incense offerings, the Buddha’s bathing ceremony, a release of balloons to pray for peace and humanitarian activities.
Vesak is a significant occasion for Viet Nam to honour Buddhism, which came to the country some 2,000 years ago.
Viet Nam is now home to more than 12 million Buddhist followers and 50,000 Buddhist monks and nuns, who practice the religion in over 17,000 Buddhist places of worship.
Buddhism is the country’s oldest religion and has the largest number of followers. — VNS
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| Community pillars: Thousands of Buddhist monks and Buddhists released pigeons on the sky at the Viet Nam Quoc Tu pagoda in HCM City to pray for peace. —VNA/VNS Photo The Anh |
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| Devotion: On May 10, Khmer Nam Tong (Theravada ) Buddhists monks celebrate the VESAK Vien Quang pagoda in Chau Doc City of southern An Giang province. — VNA/VNS Photo Cong Mao |
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| Wings of peace: Buddhist monks, State leaders and ambassadors of different countries released bird into the sky after a solemn ceremony to celebrate the VESAK at the Quan Su Pagoda on May 10 to pray for peace. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan. |
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| Happy balloons: Buddhist monks, State leaders and ambassadors of different countries released balloons into the sky after a solemn ceremony to celebrate the VESAK at the Quan Su Pagoda on May 10 to pray for peace. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan. |
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| Clean and pure: Buddha’s bathing ceremony was organised at the Bai Dinh pagoda in Ninh Binh province to celebrate the VESAK on May 6. — VNA/VNS Photo Ninh Duc Phuong |
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| Street scene: A solemn Buddha parade was held at the Quan Su Pagoda, which is the headquarters of the Viet Nam Buddhism Association, in Ha Noi in the evening of May 9. — VNS Photo Truong Vi |
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| Veggie delight: The owner of the Tung Duc Company in Ha Noi treated its 700 employees to a free vegetarian buffet , following a solemn ceremony to celebrate the VESAK in the company and release birds into the sky. — VNS Photo Doan Tung |
OVietnam