HCMC celebrates the Buddha’s birth after two years of Covid related suspension

Thich Tri Quang, acting Supreme Patriarch of the Verification Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said each monk, disciple and believer must fullfil their duties with a spirit of discipline, responsibility, unity and development.

Ngo Minh Chau, deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, expressed his gratitude for the contributions of the HCMC Buddhist Sangha and Buddhists during the hard times of the pandemic.

They, along with many others, helped the people by securing medical equipment, arranging for ambulances and taking care of funeral procedures for those lost to the disease, he said.

During the Sunday ceremony, several Vesak rituals were performed, including praying, chanting and releasing pigeons.

Vesak is observed very year on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month, which is Sunday this year, to commemorate the day of the Buddha’s birth. Vesak festivities had been suspended for the last two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 1999, the celebration has been recognized by the UN as a global cultural and spiritual celebration.