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.

 
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Through the lens: Nation celebrates Buddha’s birth

May 10, 2017 - 17:00

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.

 
Circle of life: On May 10, State leaders, Buddhists and visitors took part in a solemn ceremony to celebrate the VESAK at the Từ Đàm temple in Huế city. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồ Cầu
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 Việt 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 Việt Nam to honour Buddhism, which came to the country some 2,000 years ago.

Việt 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

 

Community pillars: Thousands of Buddhist monks and Buddhists released pigeons on the sky at the Việt Nam Quốc Tự pagoda in HCM City to pray for peace. —VNA/VNS Photo Thế Anh
Devotion: On May 10, Khmer Nam Tông (Theravada ) Buddhists monks celebrate the VESAK Viên Quang pagoda in Châu Đốc City of southern An Giang province. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Mạo
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 Quán Sứ Pagoda on May 10 to pray for peace. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dân.
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 Quán Sứ Pagoda on May 10 to pray for peace. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dân.
Clean and pure: Buddha’s bathing ceremony was organised at the Bái Đính pagoda in Ninh Bình province to celebrate the VESAK on May 6. — VNA/VNS Photo Ninh Đức Phương
Street scene: A solemn Buddha parade was held at the Quán Sứ Pagoda, which is the headquarters of the Việt Nam Buddhism Association, in Hà Nội in the evening of May 9. — VNS Photo Trương Vị

 

Veggie delight: The owner of the Tùng Đức Company in Hà Nội 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 Đoàn Tùng

 

Vietnam VESAK

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