On the afternoon of May 16th, the Central Culture Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Association announced that the Buddha's Birthday celebration for the year 2570 of the Buddhist calendar (2026 of the Gregorian calendar) will be held in Da Lat, Lam Dong province.
The Grand Ceremony program is designed as an "Experiential Journey" with 15 main activities, combining solemn spiritual rituals with cultural, artistic, and welfare experiences for the general public, expected to attract tens of thousands of monks, nuns, Buddhists, tourists, and local people.
The main events will take place from May 23-25 (the 7th-9th day of the 4th lunar month of the Year of the Horse), while the extended series of activities will continue until June 1.
The highlight of this year's Grand Ceremony is the "Experiential Journey" series, comprising 15 main activities combining traditional Buddhist rituals with cultural, artistic, and social welfare programs for the community.
During the experiential activities from May 23rd to 25th, the Organizing Committee will display paintings titled "The Path to Enlightenment" amidst the pine forests of Da Lat, featuring 30 artworks recreating the journey from the Buddha's birth to enlightenment; organize a vegetarian food and Buddhist culture space at Lam Vien Square; hold a paper-releasing ceremony "Writing of Letting Go" by Xuan Huong Lake; and participate in calligraphy and drawing competitions on the theme of the Buddha's birth.
On May 23rd, the official opening ceremony will take place at the Lam Dong Provincial Labor Union Hall, with the participation of Venerable monks, distinguished guests, and approximately 300 delegates; a Buddhist Dharma competition for Buddhists and a seminar on Vietnamese calligraphy related to Buddhist teachings.
In particular, the "Lighting Up Seven Lotus Flowers" program at Lam Vien Square on the evening of the same day will recreate the symbol of the seven lotus steps of the newborn Buddha.
On May 24th, the main Buddha's Birthday celebration will take place with a morning meditation program amidst the pine forests of the plateau; a procession of the Buddha's birth statue from Linh Quang Ancestral Temple to the Thuy Ta - Ho Xuan Huong area and the traditional bathing ritual.
The program also includes awarding "Compassion" scholarships to underprivileged students and handing over "Houses of Compassion" to needy families in the local area.
The Buddhist art performance by Xuan Huong Lake, taking place on the evening of May 24th, will feature Buddhist music and dance performances on a water stage, creating a unique cultural highlight for this year's Buddha's Birthday celebration in Da Lat.
Besides spiritual rituals, the Grand Ceremony also promotes community charitable activities such as the "Zero-Cost Market - Sharing Love," donating 1,000 packages of essential goods to needy people; visiting families of policy beneficiaries, war invalids and martyrs; supporting social welfare facilities; participating in tree planting programs, spreading the spirit of environmental protection and sustainable development in accordance with Buddhist principles.
The series of events concluded with two parades of flower floats on the evenings of May 30th and 31st, featuring 50 floats moving through the central streets of Da Lat, creating a dazzling and colorful festive atmosphere in the "city of a thousand flowers".
According to the Organizing Committee, the Bodhi Fragrance Club, under the Central Culture Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Association, will be the coordinating unit for many important aspects of the Grand Ceremony, such as overall program operation, media system implementation, coordination with sponsors, and organization of welfare and charitable activities within the framework of Vesak 2026.
Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/dai-le-phat-dan-2026-se-dien-ra-tai-da-lat-543080.html
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