HO CHI MINH CITY: Vietnam welcomed Buddha’s sacred relics - a national treasure of India - on Friday (May 2), marking the first time the venerated artifacts have been brought to and enshrined in the country.
The precious artifacts were accompanied by India’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) hosted the reception ceremony at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City on the day, attended by Most Venerable Thich Trí Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the VBS Patronage Council alongside Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Vice Supreme Patriarch, President of the VBS Executive Council, Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Dao Ngọc Dung, and Permanent Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Ngoc Hảa.
Following the airport reception, the relics were transported to the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in HCM City, the main venue for the upcoming 20th UN Day of Wesak Celebrations. From May 3-8, they will be enshrined at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Binh Chanh District for public viewing and veneration.
The relics are scheduled to travel to several significant Buddhist sites across Vietnam, including Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area in the southern province of Tay Ninh, Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi – the headquarters of the VBS, and Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam.
The UN Wesak 2025, themed “Unity and Inclusivity for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development,” will take place from May 6 to 8. Some 1,200 delegates from 85 countries and territories, including dozens of heads of states, are expected to attend the event.
Vietnam has hosted the UN Wesak celebrations three times before: in Hanoi in 2008, Ninh Binh Province in 2014, and Hanam Province in 2019. — VNA/VNS/ANN
