HCM CITY – An exhibition titled “Buddhism and Peace” is being held by the HCM City Photographic Association and the Việt Nam Buddhist Research Institute to mark the 60th death anniversary of Thích Quảng Đức.

The exhibition at Nguyễn Văn Bính Street in District 1 commemorates the Buddhist monk’s self-immolation to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the US during the war.

It displays 138 photos chosen from a contest of the same name held in March-May, which attracted over 1,200 entries.

Chairman of the association, Đoàn Hoài Trung, said the exhibits aim to showcase core Buddhist values and the great contributions made by Thích Quảng Đức to Vietnamese Buddhism.

The event focuses on promoting Buddhist perspectives on peace, condemning wars and encouraging patriotic activities, he added.

It also inspires creativity in photographers, he added.

The winners of the contest received awards at the exhibition.

They include a photo titled Tiếng Chuông Hòa Bình (The Bell of Peace) by Nguyễn Thùy, which depicts a monk ringing a bell made from a 500kg bomb shell, and aims to convey the message of how peace can be built after pain and an instrument of destruction can still be made into something that can bring peace to people.

It won the top prize in the contest.

Nguyễn Trung Tín, a student from Tôn Đức Thắng University, visited the exhibition after learning about it on social media. He said the exhibition enabled him to learn about Buddhism and understand more about the connection between Buddhism and life.

"Many photos here convey fascinating facets of Buddhism such as peace and healing. I also saw a few about requiems for soldiers, and I think it is cool how some of these photos also show the connection between Buddhism and politics."

The exhibition will go on until May 28. – VNS