Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran dynasty, ascended the throne when he was just 21. He is famous for defeating Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.

QUANH NINH (VNS)— A grand commemoration of the 705th anniversary of the Nirvana attainment of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of Vietnamese Zen Buddhism, will be held at the Yen Tu religious and historical site in Quang Ninh Province from December 1-3.

The celebration will also include the unveiling of a bronze statue of the King-Monk, according to the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha (VNBS). Shaped by craftsmen in Dai Bai, a traditional bronze casting village in Bac Ninh Province, the statue stands 15m high and weighs 150 tonnes. It will sit atop Yen Tu Mountain.

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran dynasty, ascended the throne when he was just 21. He is famous for defeating Mongol invaders twice during his 15-year reign.

The King abdicated the throne when he was 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practising and propagating Buddhism. He founded the Truc Lam School of Zen and worked to unify different Vietnamese Buddhism sects into Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

The VNBS is working with relevant agencies to submit documents to UNESCO to ask for World's Cultural Celebrities recognition for the King.

Other commemorative activites will include religious ceremonies and a workshop entitled The Yen Tu Tourism and Historical Relic: Orientation and Development. — VNS