Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - Photo: VGP/Quang Thuong

The United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 (the Day) will take place from May 6-8 at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (Le Minh Xuan campus, Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City). This is an opportunity to introduce Buddhist values, contributing to building a peaceful and happy world. Organizing the Day in Vietnam is also an opportunity to introduce the image of a country and people who love peace and affirm the policy of respecting freedom of belief and religion of our Party and State to the international community.

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), said that with the attention and support of the Government, the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion, ministries, branches, and localities, and the direction of the Supreme Patriarch of the VBS, preparations for the Great Ceremony have been basically completed.

By April 16, the main hall of the Great Ceremony with a capacity of 2,700 seats was basically completed. In addition, the Organizing Committee also built an additional hall with a capacity of about 1,000 seats so that Buddhists could watch the event via live screen, ensuring a solemn yet safe atmosphere.

In addition, prefabricated houses have been built and completed on schedule to be handed over to specialized units to install technical equipment. These are areas serving food for delegates, an area for the press center, a security center, a medical center, and an area for organizing cultural events.

Vietnam Buddhist Academy, Le Minh Xuan campus - where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak took place

Regarding guests and accommodations, Up to now, the VBS has sent a list of 1,231 official delegates to the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions and the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions of Ho Chi Minh City.

Guests will be accommodated at 5 facilities in District 1, District 3, District 5, Phu Nhuan District (HCMC). For monks, nuns and Buddhists, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Long An province will guide and arrange accommodation at facilities in the province and in Binh Chanh District (HCMC).

As of April 16, the Organizing Committee had received 578 submissions in English and 330 submissions in Vietnamese. The submissions focused on topics on the application of Buddhist teachings in building solidarity, tolerance, human values, and Buddhism’s contribution to world peace and sustainable development.

About the volunteer force, The VBS has mobilized thousands of volunteers, monks and nuns to participate in supporting activities. Regarding food logistics, there will be about 1,200 people, mainly Buddhists with experience in vegetarian cuisine at pagodas and some volunteers with professional skills in the culinary field to serve the Great Ceremony in the most thoughtful way; special attention will be paid to ensuring food safety.

Regarding cultural exchange activities, many sideline activities of the Great Festival will take place early, from May 2, including cultural activities, festivals, responding to the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day...

The grand ceremony to commemorate and pay tribute to the heroic martyrs on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, the reunification of the country and throughout the nation's historical periods will be solemnly held on the afternoon of May 6 in the campus of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, combined with the lantern festival. This is a special festival, expressing gratitude to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed, while introducing to international friends the traditional spiritual culture of the Vietnamese people and the cultural rituals of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Currently, the Organizing Committee has also received confirmation from art troupes from China, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and South Korea to participate in the international art exchange event on the evening of May 7 at Sala Theater (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - Venerable Thich Duc Thien informed.

Son Hao

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/cac-cong-viec-chuan-bi-to-chuc-dai-le-vesak-2025-da-co-ban-hoan-tat-102250417115859851.htm