18,491 pagodas ring bells and drums to pray for national peace and prosperity on July 1st.

From 6:00 a.m. on July 1, 2025, 18,491 pagodas simultaneously rang bells and drums three times to pray for national peace and prosperity.

On June 25, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha issued Official Dispatch No. 284/HDTS-VP1 requesting pagodas and monasteries nationwide to ring the bell and drum three times to pray for national peace and prosperity on the morning of July 1, 2025, marking the first day of operation of the two-level local government.

Van Phuc Pagoda (Phu Lo Commune, Soc Son District). Illustration photo: Bao Lam

The document clearly stated: July 1, 2025 is the first day of operation of the new provinces and cities after the merger and operation of two-level local governments nationwide. This is an extremely special historical event in the process of the nation entering a new era of prosperous development.

In response to this historic event, the Standing Committee of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha respectfully requests the Executive Committees of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in provinces, cities, pagodas, and monasteries nationwide to ring the bell three times and the Prajna drum to pray for national peace and prosperity, chant sutras and perform spiritual rituals to pray for peace, and arouse the strength of national unity and the sacred spirit of the mountains and rivers of Vietnam.

Specifically, at exactly 6:00 a.m. on July 1, pagodas and monasteries will solemnly perform the above ritual.

From June 12, 2025, the whole country will have 34 provincial-level administrative units, including 28 provinces and 6 cities.

On July 1, along with the whole country, 126 new communes and wards of Hanoi city officially operated a two-level local government.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/18-491-ngoi-chua-cung-cu-chuong-trong-cau-nguyen-quoc-thai-dan-an-vao-1-7-706842.html