Ho Chi Minh City is ready for the United Nations Vesak Festival 2025

(PLVN) - For the first time hosting the United Nations Vesak Festival, Ho Chi Minh City is urgently completing all preparations for the international cultural and spiritual event taking place from May 6 to 8, 2025. The festival is not only an opportunity to spread the spirit of solidarity and tolerance of Buddhism, but also an opportunity for Vietnam to introduce the image of a country that loves peace, integration and development, right on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification.

On May 2, the Buddha's relics were brought to Tan Son Nhat Airport (HCMC) and were brought to Thanh Tam Pagoda (also known as Phat Co Don Pagoda, Binh Chanh District, HCMC) for monks, nuns and Buddhists to worship. This is also one of the opening activities for the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak hosted by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in HCMC, taking place from May 6 to 8.

The 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak Organizing Committee said that the Buddha relic worship will take place from May 3 to noon on May 8. The worship will take place from 6am to 10pm every day. Visitors to the Buddha relic worship do not need to register in advance.

The Organizing Committee does not collect or accept any fees from anyone who comes to worship; does not accept wreaths or offerings; does not perform offering rituals at the place of worship.

All visitors to the Buddha's relics must follow the instructions of the Organizing Committee, line up in order, move in rows, remain absolutely silent, and not take photos or film inside the place of worship or the relics worship areas.

Children under 2 years old, people who are not in good health, or those wearing inappropriate clothing will not be allowed to enter the place where the Buddha's relics are enshrined. Visitors are advised to limit the amount of bags, backpacks, and personal belongings they bring; do not bring weapons, explosives, flammable substances, food, drinks, or items that may disrupt order or affect the safety and solemnity of the place.

The organizers have arranged parking lots for motorbikes and cars from 4 to 45 seats. From the parking lot, there will be shuttle buses to take visitors to the waiting area to worship Buddha's relics and visit the Buddhist cultural festival area. When leaving, the shuttle bus will take visitors back to the parking lot.

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak officially opened on May 6 and closed on May 8. The event attracted the participation of more than 2,700 delegates, including 1,250 delegates from 85 countries and territories.

This will be an extremely meaningful international cultural diplomacy event of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the country in 2025. The 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration has the main theme: "Solidarity and tolerance for human dignity: Buddhist wisdom for world peace and sustainable development".

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, speaks at the press conference (Photo: Thanh Nien)

The 2025 United Nations Vesak Celebration is an opportunity to introduce the image of the country and people of Vietnam, who love peace , friendliness, solidarity and harmony; for international friends to witness Ho Chi Minh City, dynamic, creative, prosperous and thriving after 50 years of national reunification; and Vietnam, integrating, developing and reaching out to the world in the new era.

The 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak 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.

Through the contents of the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak, 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, and in the achievement of national unification.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Nguyen Duy Tan said that Ho Chi Minh City and related units have been carefully preparing for a long time, from logistics, infrastructure to organizational coordination. The main organizing area in Le Minh Xuan commune, Binh Chanh district is an important space, with synchronous investment in infrastructure and equipment to serve the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival.

Ho Chi Minh City has developed a traffic coordination plan and organized large parking lots around the area where the ceremony will take place to ensure efficient transfer for international and domestic delegates. At the same time, a plan has been made to organize a reception and a courtesy call for international delegations on May 5 at Thong Nhat Hall. This is an important diplomatic event, assigned by the Central Government to Ho Chi Minh City to host.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Tan, Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions of Ho Chi Minh City, spoke at the press conference (Photo: Thanh Nien)

"This is the first time the United Nations Vesak Festival has been held in Ho Chi Minh City, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification. The city is determined to organize it successfully, safely and to show the image of a peaceful and friendly Vietnam in the eyes of international friends" - Mr. Nguyen Duy Tan emphasized.

Regarding the cultural activities that will take place at the 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak, Most Venerable Thich Tho Lac, Head of the Central Cultural Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said that on this occasion, for the first time, 87 national treasures of Buddhism will be announced to the public. These treasures mark the development periods of Vietnamese Buddhism, from its introduction to Vietnam until today.

Even monks, nuns, Buddhists and those working in the cultural sector of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha have never known about these national treasures. "The 87 treasures will be announced at the opening ceremony of the Buddhist Art exhibition on the morning of May 5," said Venerable Thich Tho Lac.

The ceremony will feature many activities such as: opening the worship of Buddha's relics and the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc (at Vietnam National Temple); a festival displaying Buddhist cultural products and a culinary festival; a reformed opera performance program of the Buddha's life; a visit and gift-giving ceremony for children affected by Agent Orange; a performance program of "Sacred Vesak"; a grand ceremony to pay tribute to heroic martyrs on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification; an international lantern festival to pray for national peace, world peace, and the United Nations Vesak International Scientific Conference 2025...

According to the organizers, there are a large number of volunteers participating in the Vesak Festival this time. Among them, there are more than 500 students from universities in Ho Chi Minh City, 1,000 monks and nuns from the Buddhist Academy, 1,200 logistics staff, 4,000 young students attending the lantern festival, and 6,000 Buddhists from pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Organizing Committee has divided a separate area of ​​over 5,000 m2 for chefs and vegetarian food processing and cooking. A 4,680 m2 dining area is reserved for buffet parties for official delegates throughout the 3 days of the Grand Ceremony.

About 1,200 people are involved in the culinary logistics for the Great Ceremony. It is expected that about 200 vegetarian dishes will be served to delegates. Buddhists and people attending the Great Ceremony will be provided with free drinking water and rice by the organizing committee at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, Thanh Tam Pagoda and Lang Le Park.

Five sub-themes of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025

1. Nurture inner peace for world peace.

2. Forgiveness and Healing with Mindfulness: The Path to Reconciliation.

3. Buddhist Compassion in Action: Shared Responsibility for Human Development.

4. Mindfulness in education for a compassionate and sustainable future.

5. Promoting Unity: Working Together for Global Harmony.

On May 2, the opening ceremony of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Press Center took place at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City.

This center will ensure facilities, equipment and stable internet connection to serve the work of providing organizational information to reporters from international and Vietnamese news agencies and press working at the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival.

Viet Vu (synthesis)

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/tp-hcm-san-sang-cho-dai-le-vesak-lien-hop-quoc-2025-post547300.html