Crowds of people attend the flower lantern night at Phap Hoa Pagoda to celebrate Buddha's birthday

Every Buddha's birthday, Buddhists and people in Ho Chi Minh City look forward to the lantern festival of Phap Hoa Pagoda on the banks of Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal. The pagoda is located right in the center, people can participate freely, no need to register in advance, so it always attracts thousands of people to attend.

This year, Phap Hoa Pagoda has prepared 6,000 lanterns to be distributed free of charge to festival-goers. Upon entering the pagoda, each person will receive a lantern to make a wish and release it on the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal.

People jostle to attend the lantern festival at Phap Hoa Pagoda on the evening of May 9.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

In addition, to ensure the solemnity of the festival, the pagoda also prepared plastic bags for people to put their sandals in when entering the pagoda to worship. Before that, many Buddhists and volunteers gathered at the pagoda to arrange flower lanterns.

Phap Hoa Pagoda shines brightly to celebrate Buddha's birthday

Although the organizers announced that the program would start at 5:30 p.m., about an hour before, people from all over had already flocked to Phap Hoa Pagoda at 870 Truong Sa Street (Ward 14, District 3) to attend the ceremony. The embankment of Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal was packed with people and vehicles during rush hour, with a traffic jam extending up to Le Van Sy Bridge and across Hoang Sa Street. Traffic police were constantly straining to clear the area.

To admire the sparkling scenery of Phap Hoa Pagoda when the lights come on, many people also choose to stand and attend the ceremony on the other side of the embankment.

Phap Hoa Pagoda (District 3) is located on Truong Sa Street - right at Le Van Sy Bridge. On Buddha's birthday, the pagoda is decorated with colorful flags and flowers, standing out across a stretch of the canal.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Ms. Nguyen Tram Anh (26 years old, living in District 8) said that this was the third time she had come to Phap Hoa Pagoda to attend the lantern festival. In previous years, she arrived late, so it was difficult for her to squeeze into the pagoda during the ceremony. This year, she arrived at 4 pm, comfortably finding a place to park her car and a place to sit.

"I wrote my wishes on flower lanterns and asked volunteers to release them into the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal. I don't wish for myself, I just wish for my grandparents, parents and everyone to always have peace in their thoughts and have enough strength to overcome the storms," she said.

Clip: Phap Hoa Pagoda is filled with sparkling lanterns to celebrate Buddha's birthday

From Tan Binh District, Ms. Ngoc An (30 years old) went to Phap Hoa Pagoda to attend the ceremony. According to Ms. Minh Anh, as a Buddhist, every time on Buddha's birthday, she and her family usually spend time going to at least 5 pagodas, including attending the flower lantern ceremony at Phap Hoa Pagoda.

Ms. Ngoc An shared: "Going to the temple to attend the flower lantern ceremony has been a habit of my family in recent years. This year, the 2025 Vesak festival was held in Ho Chi Minh City. I was fortunate to be able to worship Buddha's relics at Thanh Tam Pagoda, the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at Viet Nam Quoc Tu and now attend the flower lantern ceremony at Phap Hoa Pagoda. So it was a peaceful and complete Buddha's birthday season."

Buddha's Birthday commemorates the birth of Gautama Buddha in 623 BC. At the age of 80, he passed away, and the Buddhist calendar began.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

The yard of Phap Hoa Pagoda (facing Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal) is crowded with people attending the flower lantern ceremony.

PHOTO; NHAT THINH

In Vietnam, activities to celebrate Buddha's birthday start from the 8th day of the 4th lunar month to the 15th day of the 4th lunar month.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

To ensure safety, people participating in the program will transfer the lanterns for volunteers to release into the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal. Afterwards, the organizers will arrange for forces to clean up the lanterns to protect the environment.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

On each lantern are the wishes of the people and Buddhists.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

The Buddha's Birthday is not only an occasion to honor the Buddha, but also an occasion to review the life of Buddha Shakyamuni as a historical figure and his teachings.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH