On the afternoon of May 2, the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha held the inauguration ceremony of the Vesak 2025 Press Center and held the first press conference at this center to inform about some important contents about the Great Ceremony.
Attending the inauguration ceremony of the Center and participating in this press conference were Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President, General Secretary of the Executive Council, Vice President and General Secretary of the United Nations (UN) Vesak Organizing Committee 2025; Most Venerable Thich Tho Lac, Head of the Central Cultural Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vice President, Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations Vesak Organizing Committee, and other dignitaries of the World Buddhist Sangha...
Ho Chi Minh City representatives were represented by Mr. Nguyen Duy Tan, Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions of Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoi, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City.
The organizing committee performed the ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the Press Center.
The 2025 Vesak Festival will officially take place from May 6 to 8 in Ho Chi Minh City. The opening ceremony, seminars and closing ceremonies will be held at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy Hall in Ho Chi Minh City (Le Minh Xuan Commune, Binh Chanh District).
To date, the Organizing Committee has received 620 submissions in English, and 330 submissions in Vietnamese. The submissions focus on topics such as peace , sustainable development, and the application of Buddhist teachings in modern society.
It is expected that there will be about 2,700 domestic and international delegates coming to Ho Chi Minh City on this occasion. Of which, about 1,250 international delegates will come from 85 countries and territories, including Buddhist Kings, Supreme Patriarchs, Dharma Masters, Presidents of Buddhist organizations around the world; eminent monks representing major Buddhist traditions in the world, playing an important role in orienting and developing the world Buddhist community...
In particular, the 2025 Vesak Festival is expected to welcome leaders and ministers from several countries, United Nations officials, ambassadors of countries in Vietnam... to attend.
The representative of the Organizing Committee of the UN Vesak Festival in Vietnam in 2025 said that this year's festival will have many cultural events organized, including: Opening the worship of Buddha's relics - the national treasure of India; Presentation of the main theme of the UN Vesak Festival 2025; Great ceremony to pay tribute to heroic martyrs on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification; International Lantern Festival to pray for national peace, world peace, etc.
The activity attracted a lot of attention from reporters and the press.
Regarding the logistics for the Grand Ceremony, up to now, the Organizing Committee has divided a separate area of over 5,000 m2 for chefs and vegetarian food preparation. In particular, a 4,680 m2 dining area has been built for buffet parties for official delegates throughout the 3 days of the Grand Ceremony.
Venerable Thich Duc Thien said that about 1,200 people will participate in the culinary logistics for the ceremony. It is expected that nearly 200 vegetarian dishes will be served to delegates.
Buddhists and people attending the Great Ceremony will be given free drinking water and lunch boxes by the Organizing Committee at the Buddhist Academy, Thanh Tam Pagoda, and Lang Le Park.
Press conference scene.
Regarding security and order, the Organizing Committee has closely coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, directed the Ho Chi Minh City Police and the police of communes in Binh Chanh district to take responsibility and strictly implement, and raise the determination to ensure absolute safety.
Regarding accommodation, Ho Chi Minh City has arranged 15 hotels located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City (District 1, District 3, District 5, Phu Nhuan District). In addition, Vingroup Corporation has arranged 50 VINFAST VF9 electric cars to transport guests representing the United Nations, international organizations, countries, territories, ambassadors of countries... and Buddhist Kings, Supreme Patriarchs, Dharma Masters, and Presidents of Buddhist organizations around the world.
In addition, this year's large-scale event will have more than 600 volunteers from universities in Ho Chi Minh City, 1,000 monks, nuns, and students of Buddhist academies; 1,200 logistics staff, and about ten thousand young people and Buddhists attending the lantern festival.
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 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.
Vietnam has successfully hosted and organized three United Nations Vesak celebrations in 2008 with 87 countries participating at the My Dinh National Convention Center, Hanoi; 2014 with 95 countries participating at Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh Province; and 2019 with 112 countries participating at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam Province.
The 20th UN Vesak Celebration this year, with delegations from 80 countries and 5 territories participating, was hosted by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of Vietnam celebrating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), and the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025).
The 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak held at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City is an opportunity to affirm to the international community the consistent policy of respecting and ensuring freedom of belief and religion of the Party and State of Vietnam; the reality of religious freedom in Vietnam; and the achievements that the religious community in Vietnam has achieved after 50 years of national reunification.
Organizing the UN Vesak 2025 once again affirms to the international community the role and position of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the world Buddhist community. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is increasingly becoming a beacon in guiding the international activities of world Buddhism, in promoting the value of Buddha's teachings for peace and serving humanity in today's world context.
Through the program content, scientific seminars in English and Vietnamese, cultural and social activities of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak in Ho Chi Minh City, international friends will have a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural traditions of Vietnamese Buddhism over more than 2,000 years of accompanying the nation. The unique spirit of engagement of Vietnamese Buddhism, the great contributions of Buddhism in the cause of building and defending the country, in the achievement of national unification through the image of the immortal heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc will be honored and worshiped at this year's Vesak.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/hon-1250-dai-bieu-tu-85-quoc-gia-vung-lanh-tho-se-den-viet-nam-tham-du-dai-le-vesak-2025-post401185.html
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