Press conference for the 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration held on April 22 at the Central Headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - Photo: VGP/Son Hao

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) will host the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 (Vesak Day) from May 6 to 8 in Ho Chi Minh City. This important international event is an opportunity for Vietnam to introduce to the world the image of a peace-loving country with friendly, united and compassionate people. Through the VBS, international friends will witness a dynamic, creative, constantly developing and strongly transforming Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general after 50 years of national reunification - firmly integrating and standing shoulder to shoulder with the world in the new era.

Sharing at the press conference on the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival, Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice President of the Executive Council, Head of the Information and Communications Department, VBS, and also Head of the Information and Communications Department of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival, emphasized that this event also clearly demonstrates the consistent policy of the Party and State of Vietnam in respecting and ensuring freedom of belief and religion.

This is also an opportunity for the international community to better understand the rich and free religious life in Vietnam, as well as to recognize the achievements that religions in Vietnam, including Buddhism, have achieved in recent times.

Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice President of the Executive Council, Head of the Information and Communications Department, VBS, Head of the Information and Communications Department of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival, informed about the Festival - Photo: VGP/Son Hao

Special features of the United Nations Vesak Festival 2025

The sideline activities of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival will officially start from April 28, including a series of unique cultural events and festivals such as: Memorial ceremony to pay tribute to heroic martyrs on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification according to traditional Buddhist rituals typical of the three regions of the North, Central and South; Traditional Buddha bathing ceremony; Lantern night to pray for world peace; Buddhist art exhibition...

According to Venerable Thich Gia Quang, the special point of this Great Ceremony, compared to the three previous ones held in Vietnam, is that the VBS – with the agreement of the governments of Vietnam and India – will solemnly invite the relics of Buddha Shakyamuni, the national treasure of India, to be enshrined at the Great Ceremony.

The journey of welcoming, enshrining and paying homage to the relics will officially begin at Thanh Tam Pagoda - Vietnam Buddhist Academy, located in Lang Le Park, Le Minh Xuan Commune, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, from 8:00 a.m. on May 2 to the end of May 8.

Next, from May 9 to May 13, the relics will be invited to Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh province - a land of many ancient and sacred pagodas, and at the same time a typical and solemn spiritual destination for international delegates.

From May 14 to May 16, the relics will be carried through several streets of Hanoi, then enshrined at Quan Su Pagoda, Hanoi - the Central Headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

From May 17 to May 21, the relics will be placed at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam Province - the place that hosted the 2019 Vesak Festival. After the festival, the relics will be solemnly sent back to India.

In addition, this Grand Ceremony marks another sacred and important event: For the first time, Vietnam organized a procession of the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc - currently kept at the State Bank of Vietnam - for monks, nuns and Buddhists at home and abroad to pay homage. This is an event of profound spiritual significance, demonstrating the spirit of patriotism, the noble sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the nation; at the same time, it is a priceless treasure - the crystallization of the quintessence of Vietnamese Buddhism introduced to international friends.

Place to honor and worship the heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at Viet Nam Quoc Tu, 244 3/2 Street, Ho Chi Minh City, from the morning of May 3 to May 11.

The United Nations Day of Vesak is a cultural activity of the United Nations. The 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly on December 15, 1999 decided that Vesak or the Three-Day Festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment and passing into Nirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni is a cultural and religious festival for peace. Since 2000, the United Nations Day of Vesak has been held 19 times at the United Nations Headquarters and in countries around the world.

The 20th United Nations Day of Vesak this year was held in Ho Chi Minh City, with the main theme: "Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development". This important event gathered delegations from 85 countries and territories, together spreading the message of peace, humanity and sustainable development from Buddhist wisdom to the whole world.

The opening and closing ceremonies will take place at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy Hall, Le Minh Xuan Campus, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City; broadcast live on television and radio on a number of news agencies and newspapers.

Son Hao

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/dai-le-vesak-lien-hop-quoc-2025-nhieu-hoat-dong-thieng-lieng-dac-biet-102250422155945972.htm