National Peace and Prosperity Ceremony and Lantern Festival

On the evening of April 14 (March 6 of the lunar calendar), at the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital National Special Relic Site, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of the province held a grand ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity and a lantern festival.

Attending the ceremony were comrades: Doan Minh Huan, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Mai Van Tuat, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee. Also attending were Most Venerable Thich Bao Nghiem, Standing Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; representatives of leaders of a number of departments, branches, agencies, units, localities and a large number of Buddhists and people who joined in praying and releasing flower lanterns on the Sao Khe River, Truong Yen Commune.

flower lantern — Delegates attended the National Peace and Prosperity Prayer Ceremony and the Lantern Festival.

At the ceremony, delegates and a large number of Buddhists and people heard about the meaning of the National Peace and Prosperity Prayer Ceremony and the Lantern Festival. This is a national ceremony that dates back to the Ly Dynasty, presided over by the King himself, and was called the Quang Chieu Lantern Festival at that time.

Continuing the fine cultural tradition from thousands of years ago, every year, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province organizes the National Peace and Peace Prayer Ceremony and the Lantern Festival for monks, nuns, Buddhists and people to commemorate the great contributions of King Dinh Tien Hoang and our ancestors, and to better understand the history and traditions of building and defending the country. This is also an occasion to commemorate and pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh ; heroic martyrs, wounded and sick soldiers who sacrificed their blood and bones to protect the Fatherland.

From there,educating traditions, fostering national pride, fostering the will to rise up and enhancing the spirit and responsibility of today's youth generation in building and protecting the homeland and country, while contributing to preserving, conserving and promoting national intangible cultural values.

After the traditional rituals and incense offering ceremony to pay respect to Buddha and the ancestors who built and defended the country; the delegates, Buddhists and people performed the ritual of releasing flower lanterns on Sao Khe River, praying for a year of favorable weather, no natural disasters or epidemics, towards a prosperous life, peaceful people, world peace and national prosperity.

The grand prayer ceremony and flower lantern festival to pray for national peace and prosperity have been an important ritual during the Hoa Lu Festival in recent years. The Hoa Lu Festival 2024 will be held by our province from April 17-19 (March 9-11 of the lunar calendar) in conjunction with the 1100th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang (924-2024) at the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital Special National Relic Site.

Dao Hang-Minh Quang

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