The major celebrations from May 14-17 will see 5,000 delegates from inside and outside the country gathering in Hanoi, while other provinces including Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City and Thua Thien-Hue will host a lot of activity.

Northern Quang Ninh province anticipate thousands of visitors to Yen Tu, the Buddhist centre of Vietnam during the Tran Dynasty, and Ha Long Bay, the UNESCO world heritage site.

Head of the Executive board of the Quang Ninh Buddhist Church Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet said Yen Tu visitors will be able to pay respects to first Vietnamese patriarch and founder of the Truc Lam Buddhist sect, King Tran Nhan Tong. A peace chanting ceremony will be solemnly held at Chua Dong pagoda on the peak of Yen Tu mountain peak, a place of the most supernatural power.

The country’s biggest economic-cultural hub Ho Chi Minh City has been busily preparing for official ceremonies during Vesak celebrations,

The former imperial capital city of Hue will celebrate the Buddha’s birthday with numerous ritual ceremonies to be held in Dieu De and Tu Dam pagodas, as well as a series of cultural activities, including musical programmes and exhibitions of photos and Buddhist antiques.

The Vesak hosting role is seen as a significant occasion for Vietnam, to honour a religion, which came to the country some 2,000 years ago and has attracted over 10 million followers.

Buddhist monks, nuns come home for Vesak

A senior government official reiterated Vietnam’s policy on freedom of religious beliefs, saying that Buddhism and other religions enjoy equal development opportunities in Vietnam and they have markedly contributed to national construction.

Acting Chairman of the Committee for Oversea Vietnamese Affairs Nguyen Thanh Son made the remarks at a meeting with a delegation of overseas Buddhist monks, nuns and followers to visit Vietnam for celebrations of the UN Day of Vesak in Hanoi on May 12.

Son expressed his hope that the overseas monks and nuns would enjoy the celebrations of Buddha’s birthday in the home country, and that they would later introduce friends over the world to the Vietnamese land and people.

Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice Chairman of the commission for international relations of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee, said that favourable conditions created for the VBS to celebrate the UN Day of Vesak prove the Party and State’s policy on freedom of religious beliefs. The event is an honour to the Vietnamese Buddhism and Vietnamese Buddhist followers, the Venerable said.

Superior Bronze Thich Thanh Phong, a representative of Buddhist followers from the Czech Republic, expressed his joy to attend Vesak 2008 and his hope that the Vietnamese State would support the construction of Vietnamese people’s cultural centres for Vietnamese communities in foreign countries.

Prof. Do Dinh Chieu, a Vietnamese Buddhist follower living in France, said he was delighted at Vietnam’s playing host to the UN Day of Vesak celebrations for the first time in Vietnam. He wished that the event would help improve Vietnam’s position in the international arena.

Tran Thi Bao, head of the delegation of Buddhist monks, nuns and followers from Poland, said many Vietnamese and Polish Buddhist followers have visited Thien Viet pagoda, which replicates the famous One-Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi.