Yen Tu Buddhist site named special relic
(VOV) - The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on February 18 held a ceremony to receive a special national relic certificate for the Yen Tu relic complex honouring Vietnam’s Zen Buddhism.
The complex, that houses a number of pagodas, is associated with King Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308) who gave up the royal life and went to Yen Tu Mountain to practice as a Buddhist monk and found Zen Buddhism in Vietnam in 1299.
At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan praised Quang Ninh’s efforts in protecting, restoring and promoting the cultural and historical values of the relic complex in recent times.
He revealed that the Prime Minister has approved a plan to expand and develop the complex with a total investment of VND1,800 billion.
The investment will offer a chance for Quang Ninh to preserve and refurbish the heritage site, Nhan noted.
The ceremony also marked the start of the Yen Tu Spring Festival 2013 which will last three months and is expected to attract 2.5-2.7 million pilgrims.