BEIJING: King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida travelled by royal car from the China World Hotel in Beijing, their residence during their visit, to the Martyrs' Memorial in Tiananmen Square on Saturday, November 15.
At the memorial, they were welcomed by Sun Weitong, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Pang Lijuan, a Standing Committee Member of the National People's Congress, and the Vice President of the Standing Committee of the Beijing People's Congress, along with senior officials from the Chinese government.
During the visit, the King laid a wreath, paid his respects and stood in silence to honour the martyrs. Following the ceremony, the royal couple proceeded by royal car to Lingguang Temple, a historic temple in Beijing, over 1,000 years old.
Along the route to Lingguang Temple, Chinese Buddhists gathered on both sides to welcome the King and Queen, while a traditional Chinese music band performed. Upon their arrival at the temple, they were warmly received by Venerable Master Yan Jiew, President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, Venerable Chang Zhang, the Abbot of Lingguang Temple, senior representatives from the National Religious Affairs Administration of China, and the Secretary-General of the Chinese Buddhist Association.
During the visit, Their Majesties proceeded to the Yuan Tong Hall, where Their Majesties paid respects to the statue of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha by offering golden and silver trees, flowers, and incense at the altar. Their Majesties then lit incense and candles at the ceremonial table and bowed in reverence.
Following this, Their Majesties visited the lower hall of the Great Pagoda to pay respects to the sacred relics (Tooth Relic) and three statues of the Buddha: the Dipankara Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Metteya Buddha.
They offered golden and silver trees, flowers and incense at the altar, lit incense, and performed a ceremonial worship of the sacred relics, followed by a bow of respect. Chinese monks then chanted Buddhist prayers, and upon completion, their Majesties bowed once more.
On this occasion, the President of the Chinese Buddhist Association presented a statue of the Medicine Buddha (Bhaisajyaguru Vaidurya Prabha) to the King, while the Abbot of Lingguang Temple offered a sculpture of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva to the Queen.
Afterwards, Their Majesties proceeded to the base of the Great Pagoda and circled it clockwise, observing wood carvings depicting scenes from the Buddha's life and the 500 Arhats. The Abbot of Lingguang Temple explained the carvings. At an appropriate time, Their Majesties returned to their royal car and travelled back to the China World Hotel in Beijing.
The Tooth Relic enshrined at Lingguang Temple in Beijing was temporarily brought to Thailand on two occasions, allowing Thai Buddhists to pay their respects and receive blessings. These visits demonstrated the sincere friendship and strong ties between the two nations.
The first occasion was in 2012, when the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in celebration of his 75th birthday on December 5, 2012, arranged for the Tooth Relic to be temporarily enshrined at the Phutthamonthon in Nakhon Pathom for public worship.
The second occasion was in 2024, when the relic was brought to the Sanam Luang ceremonial grounds in Bangkok to mark the 60th anniversary of His King Maha Vajiralongkorn's birthday on July 28, 2024, as well as the 50th anniversary of Thailand-China diplomatic relations. During this time, Their Majesties paid their respects to the sacred relic on December 12, 2024. - The Nation/ANN
