Opening of the Press Center for the United Nations Vesak 2025

Attending the ceremony were representatives of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Ethnic Affairs and Religion, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports ; nearly 70 reporters and editors from press agencies in Ho Chi Minh City.

Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Press Center serving the 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration.

At the press conference, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said that the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak has received much attention from international delegates, leaders of the State and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as monks, nuns and Buddhists. To date, about 1,300 international delegates and more than 1,500 domestic delegates have registered to attend.

In the past time, the media has published many activities related to the Great Festival, showing special interest in the event. This morning, May 2, the first activity of the Great Festival was the procession of the Buddha's relics - the national treasure of India to Ho Chi Minh City, which was carried out solemnly and thoughtfully and was reported by many press agencies.

Panorama of the press conference.

Because of the importance of the event, the Organizing Committee decided to build a Press Center to facilitate the team of reporters and editors to work quickly and effectively. "We have coordinated to prepare urgently in the past 2 days, and now the Center is completed and ready to operate," said Venerable Thich Duc Thien.

Sharing more about the ceremony, Venerable Thich Tam Hai - Deputy Head of the Communications Department said that this ceremony has many rich, attractive and unprecedented activities. Through the Press Center, Venerable Thich Tam Hai hopes to create favorable conditions for domestic and international reporters to have a good working environment to convey timely, diverse and complete information about the ceremony.

Venerable Thich Tam Hai provided information at the press conference.

On the side of the Ho Chi Minh City government, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Ngoc Hoi said that starting today - when the Press Center opens, the Organizing Committee will provide official and updated information to the press agencies every day. Mr. Hoi also affirmed that the coordinating units will quickly share information and images of the activities through the data warehouse contained in the QR code prepared by the Organizing Committee. This is the first time the City has hosted the Vesak Festival, so all work has been carefully and meticulously prepared, especially the reception of delegates and international media.

The 20th United Nations Day of Vesak this year 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), with the participation of delegations from 80 countries and 5 territories.

The Press Center serving the 2025 Vesak Festival has a system of modern desks, computers, printers, and high-speed internet, ensuring more than 200 accounts working at the same time.

In addition, telecommunications carriers also installed and completed 5G coverage for the entire area where the Grand Ceremony took place.

The Press Center serving the Vesak Festival has invested in equipment and transmission lines to ensure reporters can work.

Along with ensuring equipment, the Press Center serving the 2025 Vesak Festival also provides a cool, spacious working environment, provides drinking water and vegetarian food, and supports domestic and international reporters and editors to work most conveniently at the event.

Organizing the United Nations Vesak Festival 2025 once again affirms to the international community the role and position of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the world Buddhist community.

This is also 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. The United Nations Vesak 2025 is expected to contribute to promoting tourism development and economic investment in Vietnam and is also an opportunity for Vietnam in general, Ho Chi Minh City in particular, to become a destination for international tourists from the beautiful image that Vietnam has created through the international cultural event of the United Nations.

The 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak will officially take place from May 6 to 8, 2025 at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (Campus 2, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) and Lang Le - Bau Co Cultural Park. The event is expected to attract about 1,300 international delegates from 85 countries, more than 1,500 domestic delegates, along with thousands of monks, nuns, and Buddhists.

Source: https://ttbc-hcm.gov.vn/khai-truong-trung-tam-bao-chi-phuc-vu-dai-le-vesak-lien-hop-quoc-2025-1018588.html